It has been passed on to me that the National Catholic Reporter, Kansas City's own little rag for heresy, dissent, and de facto schism (hereinafter, the "National Catholic Distorter" or the "Distorter") is getting ready to publish a hit-piece on Bishop Finn, holding him up as an example of the new breed of bad, rigid Bishops who are devoid of the Spirit of Vatican Too.
What a great honor for Bishop Finn! I can't wait to see it. I might even stop by the Distorter mansion in Hyde Park and buy a copy.
Having the Distorter as an enemy is a great notch in one's belt. Being complimented in the Distorter is a black mark. Maybe, over the course of the next year, if he keeps doing his job like he should, Finn can pull a hat trick and get scornful writeups in Commonweal and America as well.
More to come. Developing ....
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This is sad news, but the Bishop will not be the first person persecuted for his devotion to our Catholic faith, huh?
This news explains the Bishop's comments the other evening when he called KEXS 1090 AM during their fundraiser and expressed his appreciation for the station and asked for the prayers of all listening for the other "Catholic" media in the diocese.
This enigmatic request got my attention. After a few phone calls, I learned of the hit piece as well. A well-connected person told me that the Bishop has asked (certain, perhaps all) chancery officials not to speak to the Not Catholic Really (NCR) reporter for one simple reason: (a paraphrase) "If they are after me, let them come after me. I do not want them to have an opportunity to entangle anyone else."
This is simultaneous leadership and service, truly what a good shepard is all about.
If the piece does run, I hope families will rally in defense of our Bishop outside the Not Catholic Really (NCR) building soon after the article's release. A rosary rally with placards supporting our Bishop. Wouldn't that be great! Even if only a few families attended, it would be a fitting demonstration of thanks for our good Bishop.
Today, April 2, is His Excellency Robert Finn's birthday, by the way.
One last thought, there is red martydom (as most of us know) and white martydom, which is discussed less often.
The red martyr, seeing his immediate ruin upon him, has great impetus to love those that persecute him, since that love is vital to his imminent eternal reward.
The white martyr, if he has any of my human weaknesses, has less impetus to love those that persecute him, since such acts of persecution does not bring his human life to an end. Yet, we see holiness in our Bishop's reaction to this persecution (is there any other word for it?). What does he do? He asks for others to pray for those that would do him in if they could.
Need anything else be said? Only that a pack of wolves lives on Armour Blvd and the sheep will stay with their shepard, especially when that shepard will stay with them.
Pitchforks and torches. Let's storm the heretical buggers' mansion.
Happy birthday Bishop Finn! May St. Michael stand by your side.
Let's never threaten physical harm or destruction of property. It's usually unnecessary, and when it is necessary, it's more effective when it's a surprise.
Oh, and let's not talk of buggery. Remember which part of town they're in!
Thinking about the White Martyrdom idea. I have a hard time seeing how Finn will suffer from their hatchet job. After all; he's not subject to them; they're, if they're really Catholic, subject to him. They have no power over him and the most they can do is excite the displeasure of other people who have no power over him.
Face it, the Distorter is without influence at Finn's level. Maybe it's required reading for a certain subset of DRE's, and that crowd can cause you to lose your organist job, or make your life as associate pastor hell, but it can't do a darned thing to you if you're carrying a crosier.
OK, maybe they can excite Skylstad and his...buddies and keep Finn off the choice USCCB committees, but let's be honest--the most men like Finn and Bruskewitz and Olmstead will ever be in the USCCB, as now constituted, are boisterous back-benchers.
In all seriousness I think you are missing the point. This 'hit piece' is coming from within his own diocese. It may only be a malicious attempt to hurt him that will have no real effect, but one has to wonder which priests or chancery staff (current or former) have conspired with the staff of the NCR to fire this shot.
Now, really. This is simply too much. Can't our good Bishop prohibit those people from using the name "Catholic" in the title of their rag? Doesn't he have some canonical jurisdiction over the use of the word Catholic within his diocese? For instance, I couldn't open a private school and call it Catholic without the approval of the local bishop, could I?
Well, you COULD start a school and call it "Catholic" or a newspaper and call it "Catholic."
It's a violation of Canon law for you to do so, and the Bishop could threaten you and excommunicate you if you refused obedience to him over the matter. But the Bishop doesn't own the "Catholic" trademark. He can't have you fined, arrested or (sigh) burned at the stake.
All he can do to you in this life is make you an object of his displeasure, which will of course, make you quite popular with many folks around town, including a number of his priests, and you'll never want for allies.
Sure, you'll go to hell, but what is hell? Does it really exist? Or won't they finally acknowledge in Vatican III that hell is only a figment of the imagination, or a place where pre-conciliar popes and bishops are sent.
See my point?
Oh, I see your point alright. And the danger of the bishop getting involved in a squabble with the NCR is, it might make more people aware of its existence, besides the ankle-biters and hand-holders who make up the bulk of its readership.
Last night, I was perusing the March 24, 2006 Catholic Key when I stumbled across this interesting quote from Bishop Finn during remarks at the St. Joseph Co-Cathedral (Ugh! What a hatchet job they did on that church, judging by the picture. But I digress.). Anyhoo, His Eminence had this to say about Catholic publications: "Any communication medium calling itself Catholic that emanates from the bounds of this local church must not be party to what Cardinal Ratzinger called 'the tyranny of relativism.'" Seems a rather pointed comment, no?
And I'd appreciate your opinion....if I see a stack of National Catholic Reporters in the vestibule of a church, would it be a sin for me to take them and toss them in the dumpster out back?
Well, I think it's good that people learn about National Catholic Reporter....and learn about it in a context such as this.
As for pitching the NCRptr's you find, well, a pertinent question, as I was looking around at the back of a local church and was surprised to see a box of them in a corner. Arrrgh.
Anyways, I lack the knowledge or the grace to be a spiritual advisor in such matters. Indeed, one cannot do evil so that good may come of it, but on the other hand, it is an act of charity to remove obstacles from the path of your brothers' salvation. Take your pick, or better yet, ask someone better qualified than me.
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