Mass media
What are the media saying about Pope Benedict’s new mass decree? Just about everything, some of it interesting, much of it not correct.
Let’s look….
There’s a lot of over-reaction in this AP story, picked up by a lot of newspapers. And a lot of errors that were easy to double check and…get right. Way easier to run with quotes from dissidents perpetrating rumors and hearsay.
The liberal lay church group We Are Church said that the move represented a step back from Vatican II and could set an even more conservative direction for the church. It warned of a “new split within many parishes, diocese and finally the entire Roman Catholic Church.”
“It is to be feared that while it appears to only be about the old Mass, in reality it is an attempt to set the Catholic Church on a new old course,” the group said.
Nonsense. Did they read the document, or the pope’s letter explaining it? If so, probably only to refute it, not to understand it. Because it’s so clear.
And this shows up in plenty of stories:
The document upset Jews, since the Tridentine rite contains a prayer on Good Friday of Easter Week calling for their conversion. The Anti-Defamation League called the move a “body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations,” the Jewish news agency JTA reported.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center urged Benedict to publicly point out that such phrases “are now entirely contrary to the teaching of the church.”
That one got picked up a lot by the press. Phil Lawler’s good and thorough analysis of the decree over at CWNews addresses that, and other false claims.
The document does not restore the use of language that Jewish leaders have found offensive. Stories that spread quickly through the secular press, based on confused reporting, predicted that Jewish people would be shocked by the liturgical changes. Those stories were wholly inaccurate; the language in question was never a factor in the Pope’s decision.
This article in the UK Guardian hyper-ventilates from the headline on through the over-reactionary story about that one, false, point.
Anticipating all this over-the-top coverage about the mass decree, the crew over at Creative Minority Report put out this parody a few days ago (tip to Barb Nicolosi).
And finally, for now anyway, here’s some good writing about the motu proprio, from the perspective of people in the pews of this one area, who represent many others who are also…Church.
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GOD’S WAY VS. MY WAY (BON JOVI AT LIVE EARTH CONCERT)
Over this past weekend I was watching some of the Live Earth concerts on TV. I was watching Jon Bon Jovi sing a few of my favorite songs. One of them was called “It’s My Life†in which Jon Bon Jovi stresses to do things “My Wayâ€. This is a highly energetic song and I like the music in the song but disagree with the lyrics/message. The lyrics state we should be living our life “My Wayâ€. Is this really true?
I believe we are really supposed to live life “God’s Way†and not “My Wayâ€. This is why I always disagreed with Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way†also. I really like the music in Sinatra’s song but dislike the lyrics. I believe we are supposed to pray to God to find out how we are supposed to be leading our lives. If God asks us to give up all our possessions and follow him, then this is what we are called to do.
During the end of Bon Jovi’s Song “It’s My Lifeâ€, Jon Bon Jovi raises both his arms above his head and then does a rousing finish by moving his arms to his side and ends up finishing in the form of a cross. How ironic! Jon Bon Jovi sings a song about us doing things “Our Way†but then finishes his song in the form of the cross (God’s Way). It sends mixed messages to his audience. Which is it Jon? Christ died on the cross for our sins. We need to carry our own crosses each day.
When Abortion is used we our doing things “My Way†and not “God’s Wayâ€. Through abortion we are not accepting God’s gift he has already gave us.
Most Americans currently use contraception although the tide seems to be slowly turning to Natural Family Planning. Contraception is not open to life nor God’s Will. Contraception is living life “My Way†not “God’s Wayâ€. We need to always be open to God’s Way and God’s Gifts. We should therefore always be open to life.
Last, I am really a big fan of Bon Jovi and Frank Sinatra but I do believe they should change the lyrics in their songs to “God’s Way†and not “My Wayâ€.
What are your thoughts?
Mike