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| Unsold Newspapers Stack Up |
I have become
increasingly frustrated and angry by some of the content of the Catholic
newspaper being sold in churches in South Africa. The question that plagues me, is what I
should do about the flow of articles and editorials that dilute, contradict, or
challenge Church teaching?
During the last
two weeks I decided to take a break from posting to my Blog. Instead of writing, I wanted to consider this
question and devoted that time to prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament in
my chapel.
Two weeks later
and I cannot say that I am any closer to finding an answer to the question. It seems to me that there really is nothing
that I can do about the newspapers content, except to pray unceasingly.
At the end of
the day I have no ability to affect a change in its content. Those who do are the editor and the board of
the newspaper, who should ensure that the newspaper is “edited with the clear purpose of forming, supporting and advancing
public opinion in accord with natural law and Catholic teaching and precepts.”[1] It does however seem that this is unlikely to
happen, given their clear support of the current content.
Those who are
not involved in the management of the newspaper, but who clearly do have an
ability to bring about a change in the newspapers content, are the bishops and
their parish priests. In fact the
priests and bishops have an obligation to their parishioners and others who are
under their pastoral care.
“In order to preserve the integrity of the
truths of faith and morals, the pastors of the Church have the duty and right
to be watchful so that no harm is done to the faith or morals of the Christian
faithful through writings or the use of instruments of social
communication. They also have the duty ...
to condemn writings which harm correct faith or good morals.”[2]
Anyone who has
been involved in sales will understand the incredible value of an effective
distribution network. The one who
controls that distribution network has tremendous influence, though this is often
underestimated.
The priests and
bishops clearly control the distribution channel for the newspaper. Without this distribution network, this
newspaper would be placed in a position of having to compete with secular
publications for market share, using traditional distribution methods.
Bishops have a
pastoral obligation to manage what is sold to Catholics inside of the churches
over which they have authority. They,
along with their priests, therefore clearly control the newspapers distribution
channel.
“Books or other writings dealing with
questions of religion or morals cannot be exhibited, sold, or distributed in
churches or oratories unless they have been published with the permission of
competent ecclesiastical authority or approved by it subsequently.”[3]
One can therefore
only hope that our bishops and priests will begin to take a fresh look at some
of the content of the newspaper and, if need be, use their control of the
distribution network, to influence a change in content of the newspaper.
As for what we
as ordinary Catholics can do. We can
stop buying the newspaper if we are concerned with its content. We can speak to our priests and bishops,
highlighting our concerns. We can also
of course, and in fact must, pray unceasingly for the newspaper, its
contributors and its management.
Speaking about false prophets, St Peter (2 Peter 2: 4-10) writes: "For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them into pits of nether gloom to be kept until the Judgement; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven other persons, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example to those who were ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by licentiousness of the wicked (for by what that righteous man saw and heard as he lived among them, he was vexed in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deed),then the Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from trial and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority."
ReplyDeleteYes, Mark, like you, I am vexed by the licentiousness of this conspiratorial questionable newspaper and equally distressed by impotent bishops and priests who condone and fail to correct the false prophet...I have been vexed for at least 12 years and there are bishops who know about this vexation, and have done nothing...We shall really have to wait and see what the Lord will surely do.