True Catholic Voices for the UK Media

Classic Marvin Gaye...But Can the Church in the UK 'Get a Witness'?

Following a post by Fr Ray Blake of St Mary Magdalen's, asking readers for some ideas on nominees who could be suggested as key media contacts for the BBC and other sources of news and discussion on Catholic issues, Paul Priest aka On the Side of the Angels has set up a Facebook Group, 'True Catholic Voices for the UK Media', asking for more people to pray and give names of suitable candidates for what could be a radical new step up in the Catholic Church's approach to tackling the media.

Fr Ray Blake posted the appeal following discussions in the wake of a complaint he made to the BBC when less than reverent attitudes were shown by supposedly Catholic spokesmen and women, such as Catherine Pepinster and Robert Mickens of the Catholic 'weakly', The Tablet. While Joanna Bogle regularly puts up a good fight in defending the Catholic Faith, it appears she is a voice in the wilderness when it comes to presenting Catholic orthodoxy, or even what Fr Ray describes as 'mainstream Catholicism' to the media. As a voice of mainstream Catholicism she undoubtedly cannot do it all alone. It appears that Catholics voicing near dissent towards the Holy Father, the Magisterium of the Church and the Traditions many Catholics view as sacred are the regular points of reference for the mass media.

I'd recommend popping over to Fr Ray's site (if you haven't already done so) and putting names forward if you can think of any and contributing your thoughts to the Facebook Group. This is really important. For far too long, it seems, the Church has been represented by lay persons with an axe to grind against the Church, the Holy Father and the Teachings of the Church rather than for all three. A fresh group of Catholic public speakers with a genuine love for the Church, rather than a subversive wish to reform Her from within, would revitalise both the appeal of the Catholic Faith to the general public (who I am sure would rather hear the Catholic Faith in its fullness rather than diluted liberal/revisionist ideas well past their sell by date) and inspire other Catholics towards embracing their true home in the One True Faith.

Obviously, I'd volunteer myself but, should I ever be on TV, I fear men and women would say, "Here, love, put a brew on would you?...Oh my giddy aunt! Check out the freaky unemployed Catholic in the army surplus cap and ladies cardigan! Seems a right queer sort! I told you love. Those Catholics! Flippin' mental cases!"