Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 12:38pm

PopeWatch: Father Rosica

 

PopeWatch2-199x300-199x300

 

Edward Pentin at National Catholic Register tells how the Vatican is attempting to skew public perception of the Synod:

 

At a Vatican press conference on the synod yesterday, language attachés for the meeting highlighted a number of subjects that appeared to take precedent in the opening debates.

To take the English language attaché, Father Thomas Rosica, as an example, he placed a special emphasis on the need to end “exclusionary language” saying a synod father, (or was it synod fathers?) said the Church should “embrace reality as it is and not be afraid of new and complex situations.”

Father Rosica was particularly focused on “homosexuals or gay persons,” saying “we don’t pity gay persons, but we recognize them for who they are — they are our sons and daughters and brothers and neighbors and colleagues.”

He later returned to the subject of homosexual relationships, saying the subject “came up several times” and that a synod father asked, “How do we speak about them and offer a hand of welcome to them?”

It wasn’t clear who said what under the synod rules, but neither was it clear how many synod fathers addressed the issues Father Rosica, or the other language attaches, had mentioned.

In effect, this meant the public were left with a skewed interpretation of what was said at the opening debate, as happened throughout the last synod.

Thankfully, reliable sources have shared with me a few of the subjects covered by other synod fathers, helping to provide a more rounded picture of what was discussed:

* A number of synod fathers spoke in support of Cardinal Peter Erdo’s introductory speech, including one who underlined the importance of keeping fidelity to truth about marriage, the family and the Eucharist.

 

Go here to read the rest.  Faithful readers of this blog will recognize the name of Rosica.  From a post back On March 5, 2015:

Well, well, well, Father Thomas Rosica has decided not to sue blogger Vox Cantoris after all.  Go here to read all about the original suit threat.  Here is Rosica’s graceless announcement that he is not going to sue:

 

Jeremiah 18:18-20

 The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;let us carefully note his every word.”
Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say.Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.
As the CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network, I am not a high-ranking Vatican official nor a member of the hierarchy of the Church as erroneously claimed in several recent blogs.  In addition to my work at Salt and Light, I have had the privilege of serving since 2013 in a volunteer capacity as English language assistant to the Holy See Press Office.  I relate on a daily basis to hundreds of English language journalists around the world.  I know that this daily service has been encouraged and appreciated by the Vatican and by hundreds of journalists all over the world.
I fully support the teaching of the Church and welcome Pope Francis’ invitation to the whole Church to reflect seriously on the foundations of our faith. The recent Extraordinary Synod of Bishops has invited us to mature, honest dialogue and conversation and to find new ways and a new language to communicate the ancient story of the Church and our beautiful, unchanging doctrine to future generations.
Mature expressions of differences are welcome.  It is one thing to have differing opinions on church matters. However, there is fine line between difference of opinion and blatant destruction of person’s lives and reputations. Having been strongly advised to respond, as an individual and in no institutional capacity to the Vatican or to my place of work, to the continuous false, slanderous statements of a blogger over a long period of time that resulted in gross distortion, misinformation, many phone calls, letters and clear threats from callers based on the repeated false information contained in the blog, it was never my intention to sue, but rather to issue a letter to “cease and desist” the frivolous calumny. A legal firm, offering its service pro bono to us, issued a letter to cease and desist. No lawsuit was ever launched against the blogger! The matter is now closed.
Popes Benedict XVI and Francis have taught clearly that the Internet and blogs can be of tremendous service to the up-building of the Church and of humanity. They have never taught that blogs and social media should be used, in the name of fidelity, to engender slander, hatred, reviling and destroying.
In a world torn apart by hatred, terror and violence, often through the gross distortion of religion, we must be much more attentive to our use of social media and how it is used to unite rather than destroy humanity. Many in the Catholic blogosphere have contributed enormously to the spread of the faith, the defense of all that is good and beautiful about our faith and our Church, and the opening of dialogue among strangers. They are to be congratulated and encouraged. Others have chosen to turn the blogosphere into a black hole of vitriol, anger and profound sadness. As Catholics, the great privilege and freedom of expression and access to social media also have certain obligations of decency, integrity, honesty and charity that reveal who we really are as a faith community.
Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
Some comments about this statement:
1.  Note how Rosica is at pains to indicate that he is not a Vatican official.  Why he is just an unpaid volunteer, sort of like your local priest suddenly being asked to run an operation out of the Vatican! Uh huh, sure.  My guess is that Rosica was instructed to put as much distance between himself and the Vatican as possible over this hornet’s nest he stirred up.
2.  However, there is fine line between difference of opinion and blatant destruction of person’s lives and reputations.
He then proceeds to give no evidence that anything posted about him by Vox Cantoris fit into that category.
3.  Having been strongly advised
By whom?  An attorney?  A superior at the Vatican?
4.  A legal firm, offering its service pro bono to us,
Yep, I can tell you after a third of a century practicing law that high powered law firms are just begging to represent people for free in defamation law suits.  If such a firm has not offered such pro bono services to you, you might want to call up such a firm and inquire about the legal services they are eager to provide gratis!
5.   They have never taught that blogs and social media should be used, in the name of fidelity, to engender slander, hatred, reviling and destroying.
Once again, such statements would be so much more effective if any proof were proffered that Vox Cantoris had engaged in such conduct.
6.  Others have chosen to turn the blogosphere into a black hole of vitriol, anger and profound sadness.
Once again, no examples.  I rather suspect that Rosica views any criticism directed his way to fit into that category.
Vox Cantoris’ statement in response to the news that he will not face bankruptcy as a result of threatened litigation:

Dear Friends,

Lessons to be learned from all this below:
1.  Vox Cantoris did a very wise thing in making known the threat on his blog.
2.  Bloggers supporting him did a very wise thing in making a massive stink about all this.
3.  Bullies will often back down if met with firmness instead of weakness.
4.  That quite a few Catholic bloggers, the word Patheos just popped into my head, are very willing to ignore a newsworthy event if someone has Vatican connections.
5.  That while individual blogs may be only a minor irritant, en masse they have a powerful influence that should not be underestimated.
6.  That threatening a blogger with a lawsuit is a good way to put the person threatening litigation under the microscopes of other blogs.
7.  Someone invoking Jeremiah as Father Rosica does in regard to blogging might wish to recall that the powers that be of his day sought to shut Jeremiah up by casting him down a well and destroying his book.  The Bible attests how successful this attempt to silence a critic was.
Go here to read the comments.  The Vatican would have to work very hard to come up with someone less trustworthy than Father Rosica to report on the Synod.

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
DJ. Hesselius
DJ. Hesselius
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 7:24am

Father Rosica was particularly focused on “homosexuals or gay persons,” saying “we don’t pity gay persons, but we recognize them for who they are — they are our sons and daughters and brothers and neighbors and colleagues.”

He later returned to the subject of homosexual relationships, saying the subject “came up several times” and that a synod father asked, “How do we speak about them and offer a hand of welcome to them?”
.
I admit, I’m not the greatest Catholic. I whine a lot. I’ve got homosexual acquaintances that would be hard not to invite (with their families) to certain events if/when the time comes. Were I a professional baker, I just might make that cake.
.
Having said that, I seem to recall Jesus saying that he did NOT come to bring peace, but a sword–setting son against father, mother against daughter and the like. Hmm. . .sounds like families torn apart to me, because of the demands Jesus places on His followers. Some body is most certainly NOT “journeying with” or “accompanying” some one else in certain matters.
.
I’m also reminded of the Prodigal Son. The father in the story didn’t run after him, didn’t go with him on his run around with loose women, drunkenness and song. Welcomed him back? Well, yes, true, but AFTER the son came back to the father with apologizes and an admission of wrong doing, and not assuming he was going to be welcome back as if nothing had happened. The wayward boy humbled himself, and didn’t put himself on an equal standing with the other brother–“treat me as your hired hand.”
.
Perhaps we ought not worry about homosexuals and fornicators and the gleefully divorced (as opposed to be “abandoned divorced”). Perhaps the Church ought to state the truth, no sugar coating. If people come, they come. If they don’t, they don’t. Certainly, trying to be nice and welcoming to everyone and all is not working for the Church. People are leaving in droves, except for those “intolerant Latin Mass” types. Those Catholic communities seem to be growing.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 8:28am

Be interesting to know what the other language attaches are highlighting in their pressers.

Patricia
Patricia
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 11:01am

https://mundabor.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/father-rosica-is-manipulating-you/

The Vatican, with untold numbers of highly educated people, has made such a choice to serve objectivity for the watching world.

Art Deco
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 12:00pm

Ye gods! This fellow’s a Basilian from Rochester, with a B.A. from John Fisher College. He’d have been a protege of Fr. Joseph Dorsey, CSB. One degree of separation.

Clinton
Clinton
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 1:08pm

Ernst, Patricia’s link to the Mundabor blog will answer your question about what
is being reported in other languages about the interventions. The notes of a Polish
Archbishop, a participant in the synod, offer a very different picture from what Fr. Rosica
describes.

I particularly like Mundabor’s closing remarks re: Fr. Rosica’s depiction of the synod:
“in the time of internet and mass blogging, Father Rosica cannot go very far. Though
I am sure he can stoop very low”.

Patricia
Patricia
Thursday, October 8, AD 2015 3:08pm

Just a touch of humor from the irony dept.in the last paragraph of this post – which paragraph I could have copied rather than linked but … there’s other information.

https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/synod-flash-day-four/

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top