Are commercial reasons really justifiable reasons for failing to give ordinary Catholics a voice on the extraordinary upheavals going on in the Catholic Church today? Are they even the reasons?
I would have thought that, in fact, the 'comments on' policy that had until relatively recently been for almost all articles at the Catholic Herald, but which then became a 'blogs only' policy, in fact brought the Catholic Herald a great deal of online traffic, which in turn brought more of an audience to advertisers and potential advertisers.
Comments are still on here - and on blogs in general as far as I can see,
Keep fighting, keep praying and keep blogging until the end.
We bloggers do this service for the Church for free. We're not looking at this from a business model angle.
The Catholic Herald apparently can't afford to pay someone to 'moderate' comments, so its better to deprive Catholics of a voice in the mainstream Catholic press altogether.
Thankfully, bloggers don't follow such a line of thinking. Most of us aren't successful in worldly terms but we think Faith matters and giving Catholics a voice matters. For us it is a priority.
Shame. The Catholic Herald had done so well for so long. It is so sad that it has finally capitulated to various pressures at such a crucial time in the Church's life.
Whatever financial rewards come their way, I'm sure it won't be through their print edition since whenever I go into a Church there are always a good few copies to spare.
Certain people, however, will be happy about this decision. This decision is a slap in the face to their readership. I won't be reading it anymore. What a self-defeating decision. Their writers - talented as some of them are - are not the main attraction of blogs. The main attraction of blogs is that others can contribute to the issue being dealt with. I would have thought that to those interested in gaining an audience in the Catholic world today that this was self-evident.
But you know, what do I know?
Pray for blogs, pray for bloggers and pray for journalists and the Catholic Press. I guess you could say we're all up against it in one way or another.
32 comments:
I guess the "smells" of the sheep got too stinky!
I think they are being censored by the Left as is the National Catholic Register and other Catholic publications.
The opposition for example cannot accept a comment supporting Vatican Council II in Agreement with the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Even the following link would not make it on CH if I tried.
Christopher Ferrara, John Vennari and Fr.Nicholas Gruner express the new theology on Vatican Council II : it has a factual error, an objective mistake
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/08/christopher-ferrara-john-vennari-and.html
Thanks for telling us this Bones. I have stopped taking the Catholic Herald now, and stopped commenting since it has clearly been coming for some time.
This is a serious phenomena in the Catholic world and has not been faced up to. The Church is in decay, greater than I and perhaps more importantly, Pope Benedict envisaged when he said we might have to accept a smaller Church.
I am of the naïve pre-Vatican II generation. We none of us realised the forces of Heterodoxy that were lurking within the Church at that time.
St John XXIII, a good but not very clever man, in spite of warnings did not grasp the danger. Vatican II unleashed the floodgates of Modernism that Pius IX warned about. As Fr Michael Crean has said
“Modernism might be compared to a great flood of water pouring into a house with devastating effects”.
The Modernists or Relativists are with us today and have so much more energy than the few Catholics left who now even understand their religion.
Defeated people retreat into silence and this now general closing down of comment and discussion is an example of this defeat. I can think of at least six other examples in addition to the Catholic Herald. We will soon be back to that naïve pre-Vatican II period when we just accepted and trusted the Hierarchy – with devastating consequences
The Barque of Peter is sinking steadily lower in the water and what has not been realised is that up-wind, unnoticed by even the few still manning the pumps, a storm is approaching.
What to do? We have failed, so over to you “youngies”!
Interesting that you ask to pray for Catholic Bloggers. Given what I saw in the recent two Synods of the Family, and what's been coming out from the Vatican lately, it is to orthodox Catholic Bloggers that I turn to for Catholic related news, and its interpretation. I had already begun to pray for orthodox Catholic bloggers.
On my mind lately is that the 'perfect storm' is a-brewing: the Muslim menace, the lack of true Catholic leadership from the Vatican, the growing secularity of most Catholics, the scary gender ideology.... and the list goes on...
Praying the rosary 4X daily, ...may Our Lady intercede for us, and cover us with her mantle of protection.
Note in today's news the aggressive demands in Italy to the government for the introduction of Polygamy into Italian law.
A step on the way to Sharia law!
Another slave to the PC.....it's a pity, I liked it so much. Keep calm, they won't prevale. God bless+
The Catholic Herald is patchy at best. It's a vehicle for the policies of a regime just as Pravda used to be in the Communist era. I was blocked there at the whim a reviewer. I may have been critical or differed which would normally be challenged by another commenter if out of line. There is a disconnect between the policies we have endured along with all the endless mantas that tell us the Modernist party have done great things while we know they are just "religious" atheists. The regime will fall in ruin and the Catholic Herald being a minion of political correctness can't cope with any critical questioning.
I think a part of it is that mainstream political and social discourse in the west has shifted so far to the "left", for want of a better word, that any halfway orthodox articulation of Catholic mores is now borderline illegal - or certainly not to be tolerated in the kind of media circles that the Herald orbits around.
To positively oppose the homosexual agenda is certainly a criminal act here in Britain; in Germany one can be arrested for debating on Facebook the rights and wrongs of the government's immigration policy.
The Herald might just be acting upon legal advice; it would appear that Catholicism is now against the law, if this does turn out to be the case.....
All the more reason we must state Catholic opinion. Not to do so is to retreat into fear and defeat. I understand that personal opinion is still allowed?
Personally, I often use the words from the CCC. So if I am attacked then so is the Church. If confrontation is coming them let it, whatever the legal experts say. They will always cover their posteriors, naturally. Running away is never the answer.
It's the same way in the USA. The establishment, propaganda websites and blogs run by the USCCB or by someone on their payroll, are now more often censoring the comments or banning comments completely. It's kind of funny when you think about it: how "narrow" and "rigid" they can get - how opposed to "dialogue" they can be.
I would imagine that the bulk of the traffic that their propaganda websites and blogs get are from more conservative Catholics who bounce over to them by way of Pewsitter and now Canon212.
I can't understand how the CH's Editor can claim, one the one hand that the electronic version is becoming more and more important and is clearly the future, and on the other hand,that he is shutting down the one factor that makes that online version the more attractive option, viz. the opportunity to comment and debate freely (within the law)and promptly on its content. The printed Letters page is nothing in comparison.
In my observation, writers on the internet, bloggers and contributors to professional sites alike, quickly lose readers if they refuse to accept comments. I've seen quite a few throw a hissy fit, close down their comboxes, only to have sheepishly to re-enable them when the click count goes down. I wouldn't be surprised if the CH changes its mind about this policy.
I still have not recovered from the Black day when Rorate stopped publishing comments. It makes one think twice when pozzo states that vc2 documents are non-binding on the SSPX -- but can they TEACH that publicly or ever mention it again once they join the vc2 pahty?
"Pozzo’s remarks, which Dr. Maike Hickson translated at OnePeterFive, indicate that the SSPX could be fully reunited with Rome despite the society’s rejection of certain Vatican II documents because the documents it rejects “are not about doctrines or definitive statements, but, rather, about instructions and orienting guides for pastoral practice.” The Second Vatican Council’s documents themselves indicate that only the Council’s teachings explicitly related to faith and morals are binding to Catholics, Pozzo explained."
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/sspx-could-be-reconciled-with-rome-without-accepting-all-of-vatican-ii
http://www.onepeterfive.com/abp-pozzo-on-sspx-disputed-vatican-ii-documents-are-non-doctrinal/
I personally have a problem getting news from blogs in that I believe Rorate, OnePeterFive, Pewsitter, lifesite etc. are all being manipulated and trying to manipulate me (just like the standard Catholic press). Unfortunately, anyone who is going along "accompanying" VC2 at this time (the pope is prolife(!))--when publicly stated going to give communion to adulterers, and they are actually baptizing sodomite transvestite couples' children in Catholic Church, celebrating Martin Luther etc.--has already given witness that they respect men more than Jesus Christ (i.e. they are not willing to ACT on what they know). To me blogs are beside the point now. If black lives are worth a riot, Jesus Christ's Church, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is worth a riot in the pews--and if you get thrown out, think of Peter, James, John & Paul and trust Jesus to show you what to do next.
"SSPX could be "reconciled" was LifeSite headline. See the manipulation? What is the sacrament of reconciliation? Is that when you do penance because you have committed a sin? Is that the same as adulterers could be reconciled without accepting all of Jesus' teaching on marriage? Sodomites could be reconciled? Be very careful when you read the 'conservative' blogs--because the hip names 1Peter5, Dr Z, the Vortex etc. are all there to spin the spin--and what they're spinning is your head: don't be too upset, this too will pass, it's always been like this; you don't need to do anything but be holy and pray and keep worshiping w/devils who murder babies and legalize sodomy and make it a CRIME to protest or even comment. Just to reemphasize: Jesus didn't say he who hears my word and blogs about it or reads a blog about it will be saved. He said he who hears and Acts...
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/sspx-could-be-reconciled-with-rome-without-accepting-all-of-vatican-ii
My house is a house of prayer--but you have made it a den of thieves.
Big Brother is watching you!
I will miss reading all those comments made by Catholic bigots....
So long Alec. I wonder what school you belong to? The CH perhaps?
Although I'm a "Catholic bigot" myself, I'm with Alexander VI. Those nasty, opinionated comments made by a nasty, opinionated bunch of saddoes, some of whom seem to spend their whole lives online, trying to impress everyone with how clever they are... I won't miss those people. They always remind me of my atheist mother's saying: "It's you religious people. You cause all the wars".
Blogs are all very well but they aren't going to change the world. In fact they aren't going to change anything. If you really take your religion seriously, you should do whatever you can, practically, personally, locally, and then leave the rest unto God. Wasting your time online is sinful.
AnthonyMunday: Where does your suggestion stop? Should people eschew writing anything anywhere in books, newspapers, the radio, the TV or any media? Why should people not discuss things in blogs in the hope of getting at the truth or even proclaiming the Gospel?
Incidentally your atheist Mother was probably right - wars are often caused by religion. Christopher Dawson saw religion as one of the greatest driving forces of history and a crucial factor in the rise and fall of civilizations. That is why it is so important to discuss it. Every day we are presented with new horrors from Aleppo but how often do we hear of the underlying cause of the conflict - a proxy war between two versions of Islam and one or two other versions - a religion which advocates violence.
@ A M.
So why do you blog?
Maybe you have Confession in your parish? But remember a sincere intention, in your case, not to comment again?
Keep it up Bones. Everything is going down the plug hole at present. We must first of all realise that, and do what we can
There are still plenty of Catholic blogs, thank God, so we are not reliant on the Catholic press that has been a mixed blessing over the years, or in the case of the Tablet, more of a plague that prowls in the darkness.
@ J V
But for how long?
The withdrawal of comment is now widespread, the Catholic Herald being the latest example.
One alternative is to comment in the secular press, but be aware and be prepared!
Mary is known about how often venerate Mary , who have born Jesus . Also , depending on how the local veneration of Our Lady title but also comes with other sites , usually is the last event or all apparitions have revered temple where her .
Our Lady of Aparecida : the holy teacher of Brazil , with one figurative and one o Aparecida basilica of Aparecida , São Paulo primary dam .
Our Lady of Fatima : the title famous much in the Catholic Church through the apparition events as three young children for months at Fátima , Portugal in 1917 .
Our Lady of Guadalupe : a symbol of popular Maria out Mexico in particular and Latin America in general.
Cô dâu chú rể nào chuẩn bị kết hôn mà thấy lo lắng không?
Hầu hết các bạn phải lo từ phông rạp bàn ghế để tiếp đón khách mời, vậy bạn đã từng đi tham khảo các dịch vụ cho thuê bàn ghế đám cưới ở đâu vừa rẻ vừa đẹp chưa?
Chỉ có ở cuoi hoi tron goi ha noi song huyền mới mang lại một không gian cưới lãng mạn nhất cho bạn.
Còn chờ đợi gì nữa hãy liên hệ ngay cho song huyền để được tư vấn chu đáo về dịch vụ trang trí đám cưới tại nhà thêm hoàn hảo...
trang trí đám cưới tại nhà theo phong cách riêng, màu sắc riêng phù hợp với câu chuyện tình yêu độc đáo của mỗi đôi bạn trẻ đang là xu hướng tổ chức đám cưới hiện nay.
song huyen thấu hiểu đám cưới không chỉ đơn thuần là bữa tiệc chung vui của người thân bạn bè đến chúc phúc cho cô dâu chú rể mà đó còn là không gian tuyệt vời nơi câu chuyện tình yêu rất riêng rất ngọt ngào, lãng mạn của các cặp đôi được chia sẻ.
Dịch vụ trang trí đám cưới tại Hà Nội của SONG HUYỀN ra đời dựa trên nhu cầu của các cặp đôi cũng như mong muốn được đồng hành cùng các bạn tạo nên những khoảng khắc đẹp, lung linh hoàn hảo đến từng chi tiết trong ngày vô cùng đặc biệt đó.
Ngoài ra không chỉ trong dịch vụ cưới mà trong tổ chức sự kiện, song huyền vẫn luôn tự hào là đơn vị đi đầu về cách tổ chức các chương trình như: tổ chức sinh nhật tại hà nội, tổ chức các lễ động thổ khánh thành, cho thuê nhóm nhảy hiện đại, cho thuê nhóm nhảy, cho thuê nhà giàn không gian tại hà nội, cho thuê nhà dù nhà bạt tại hà nội,...
"ordinary Catholics a voice"
The Catholic, themselves or their voice, has not been ordinary for centuries.
“It is granted to few to recognise the true Church amid the darkness of so many schisms and heresies, and to fewer still to love the truth which they have seen and to fly to its embrace.” St Robert Bellarmine
"In 1977, about a year before he became “Pope” John Paul II, the Polish “cardinal” Karol Wojtyla stated explicitly that the Second Vatican Council’s teaching had changed the very nature of the Church: “The Church ... succeeded, during the second Vatican Council, in re-defining her own nature” (Wojtyla, Sign of Contradiction, p. 17). To see a scan of the page where this quote appears in the book, ( http://www.novusordowatch.org/soc-17.jpg ). Think about what Wojtyla is saying here: that the council defined a new church into existence, that the church of andafter Vatican II is not the same church as the one prior. That’s what redefining the nature of the church means, for the nature makes a thing what it is."
www.lifesitenews.com. Breaking:leaked e-mails show G.Soros paid $ 650K to influence Bishops during Pope's US visit.
Thank you for your replies. But please don’t read into my comments, what I didn’t say. I suggested that harsh, opinionated comments by nasty saddoes were un-Christian. I said that time “wasted” online was sinful. I didn’t say that ALL strong opinions were nasty and I didn’t say that ALL time spent online was sinful. I said that blogs (as we know them) won’t change a thing; I stand by that. I see a future for this wonderful blog – but it’s a very different one, it’s one spent getting people together – physically - to stand up for the truth, instead of reacting purely online to the modernism which is rotting our Church. Blogs, particularly when they are clearly signposted as motivated by Traddie polemic, and purely from criticism, will be dismissed out of hand as the work of nutters and won’t achieve anything but if they can get “boots on the ground” – in the streets – that’s a different matter. Best wishes to all.
Anthony: First of all blogs can change things. The internet through emails and blogs gives enormous power to people with few resources to attack established interests. I would give two instances. First when Equitable Life collapsed an action group was formed with no resources initially - a key event was getting a mailing list of policyholders and from then on using blogs and email it was eventually able to extract £1.6 billion in compensation from the Government for their regulatory failure. Of course there were boots on the ground as well but without the internet we would have got zilch. Secondly in regard to the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth I conducted a campaign to get them to comply with Catholic ethics. It was all but a complete failure. I used email but I did not have a blog out of a sense of loyalty not wanting to expose the shortcomings of some of our prelates to public ridicule. It was a big mistake.
Secondly blogs are often educational - I have just learnt about the ideas of Herbert Marcuse after reading a comment referring me to an article. These blogs enable concerned Catholics to exchange information and ideas. Yes boots on the ground are needed but not all of us are in a position to do anything - too old, living out in the sticks etc. Traditionally Catholics have looked to their clergy for leadership. However it has gradually become obvious that many of the clergy are the problem rather than the solution and most of the orthodox clergy are too frightened to do or say anything. The laity are freer to act and let us hope that they do. But there is an enormous learning curve. I spent forty years as a lawyer acting for priests and religious. Apart from witnessing an enormous exodus from religious orders I had no idea of what was going on. Only since retiring and spending a great deal of time reading material on the internet have I got a clearer idea of what is happening. Take just one example. Amoris Laetitia is an enormous problem but just how many people have actually read it? Precious few.
"I will cull the pearlwort beneath the fair sun of Sunday, beneath the hand of the Virgin, in the name of the Trinity Who willed it to grow..."
Off topic in a way, but I think this following comment is important:
I am very concerned about what Fr. Hunwicke, one of the 45 signatories writes about in his blog post today. He says: Intimidation and cruel pressures have, it appears, been applied to persuade some of the signatories to the Letter to rescind their signatures.
He also says: I would like to make it very clear that I am not talking about myself or in any way describing or alluding to my own situation or any experience I have had.
Read the whole post here at: http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.ca/2016/09/4-magical-magisterium-your-rights-and.html
Is there any way, other than prayer, than we can help the signatories? The petition that 1Peter5 spearheaded during the second Synod of the Family seemed to be effective. Is there any way we can rouse Catholics around the world to address this abuse of the right to exercise Canon 212?
An observation. Blogs are changing. Comment is now less and less available. The Catholic Herald is the latest example. So what are the implications?
Modernism is at work in the Church. Blogs/comments were a counter to some extent. Modernists as with all revolutionary movements are organised. They have clear objectives, and use weapons such as ambiguity and Gradualism which is the re-writing of history. Above all, they seem to have energy.
I have no idea in what form the Catholic rump will survive, but it is important that people like Bones carries on. A degree of courage is needed.
Jacobi: I agree absolutely. An earlier and perhaps much more serious loss was at the behest of Bishop Campbell with Deacon Nick Donnelly and his Protect the Pope blog.
I was in one of my grumpy moods, of course there's a place for blogs. But we must beware of creating a "virtual", and perhaps complacent, faith-community for ourselves. Trads have in a sense already placed themselves at the margins by the choices they have made. And when criticism of Christ's Church becomes the default-position, we have to be concerned about that. Best wishes to all.
Post a Comment