The Media Persecution of Pope Benedict and the current agenda behind it

There cannot be a single orthodox Catholic who is unaware that our Faith and our Holy Father are the object of media persecution. For latest proof see Catholic Church Conservation (Chris Gillibrand) - "Pope found Guilty on TV Show Trial",(Dutch TV), and The Hermeneutic of Continuity "James Preece on the Telly". (Heartfelt congratulations to James.) Fr Tim makes his customary astute comments. My Heart was Restless has a clip from the BBC programme concerned. (Thanks Jane Teresa.)Pope Benedict has also been attacked for 'hailing' the UN Durban II conference when it is seen as likely to become an anti-Zionist hate-fest. The Pope is sending a delegation to the Conference because he will take every opportunity to pursue the stated aim of that conference namely, an end to racism and intolerance. Surely, if you boycott it, you are not going to prevent it from becoming the thing of which you disapprove.

The Media is the 'soi-disant' mouthpiece for our 'live and let live' society. Why then does it let just about everything live, whilst it hounds the Catholic Faith and its leader? Why does it reserve its most vicious attacks for the Holy Father? The answers are simple and we had better get used to them for Pope Benedict will not be silenced and with the help of our prayers he will not 'flee for fear of the wolves'. He and his flock are in head-on collision with the 'religion' of our age, that is belief in the 'right' of every individual to instant and continual gratification in every possible aspect of existence, but most importantly it appears, in the area of sexual expression and satisfaction. This 'right' must be upheld and noone must worry about inherent responsibility.

The greatest tragedy for me and my colleagues is that for years before Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope, the heterodox element within the Church had been undermining the authority of the Papacy and the magisterium. It is this element that has consistently divided the Church, not Pope Benedict, as they now claim; it is this element that feeds the Media what it wants to hear. Unfortunately that element is peopled and led by many bishops whose interpretation of collegiality is very different from that of the Pope himself. The Holy Father would wish the bishops to be in collegiality WITH him and shows them great respect. Too many of them, on the other hand are in collegiality AGAINST him, and show him scant respect, either covertly by silence, or overtly by speaking against him to the Media and distorting and editing what he says, either to them or to anyone else.

Joseph Ratzinger came to the Papacy with a ready-made derogatory and false image. It is largely that same so-called liberal element in the Church which gave this image to the Media, and it is in the interests of both groups to perpetuate the image and encourage his 'unpopulrity'. But in spite of all their efforts it isn't going quite as they plan and hope. Increasingly, whereever Pope Benedict goes, whenever he speaks without mischievous editing, the people hang on his every word, their faces show spiritual absorption, and moreover they show how much they love and respect him and how much they pray for his good health in which he may reign many years yet.

And the agenda of my title? This has to do with the current situation.

The Media and the heterodox element in the Church, for various reasons, want to derail this Papacy. Specifically at this moment, having so far failed to prevent its happening at all, they want to destroy any chance of Benedict's imminent trip to the Holy Land being a success on any level whatsoever. The British Media is grinding another axe. It wants to create sn atmosphere of hatred of the Pope and to stir up anti-Catholicism, so that the Pope will not visit the UK, and if he does, he will be met with ugly protests and huge demonstrations against him. That's the tactic. If you can't prevent it try to ruin it.

Unless UK Catholics continue to pray hard and constantly for the Holy Father, unless at every opportunity, we speak up vociferously for him and for the Faith, we will not deserve him to come to us. And oh how badly we need a visit from him! In the meantime, even before his installation at Westminster, Archbishop Nichols has twice beaten down the Media in defendce of Pope Benedict and orthodox Catholic ethics. This promises robust and unequivocal leadership of the Church in England and Wales. Deo gratias. Pray too for the Archbishop elect. He has taken a huge burden on his shoulders.

In Christo pro Papa