In the media there is a hunting season for Catholic priests
KAI
‘If we do not respond to the groundless accusations of priests many people will regard these accusations as true’, writes Fr Benedict Groeschel, a Franciscan from New York, the founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a lecturer in pastoral psychology in the major seminary in New York, in the weekly ‘Our Sunday Visitor.’ Fr Groeschel notices that every day people receive new distorted information, rude lies and manipulations. He draws attention to the fact the leader of the hunting is the weekly ‘The New York Times’ for which even the news that happened 20 years ago is an occasion to make real news, especially if it concerns the Pope.
Fr Groeschel is sorry that Catholics, especially priests, do not react to the lies spread. He writes that actually, people do not know that only 2% of all priests were accused of abuses and that some part of them was cleared of the false accusations. Naturally, the present battue, manipulations, half-truths, distortions, exaggeration and complete lies, which the media use against the Church, are so violent and persistent that almost everyone wants to avoid them. However, one cannot dodge too long. The Franciscan friar suggests that every priest should react to lies in the media and speak about that and if needed, give up using the lying media titles.
"Niedziela" 26/2010