Letters

Media war declared (letter)

Fr M. Shadbolt PP

Contents - Nov 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The essential role of saints in the Church - Michael Gilchrist Independent inquiry exonerates Archbishop George Pell - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Father Fessio: real US crisis is 'spiritual abuse' - Karl Maurer Australian Bishops' 'complaints protocol' used to uphold orthodoxy - Richard Egan Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva canonised at Papal Mass in Rome - AD2000 Report Sydney Archdiocese courses on 'Catechism' - Fr John Flader Catholic schools: restoring a sense of sin - Br John Moylan CFC Australian apologist Raymond de Souza's successful overseas lecture tour - AD2000 Report Events: The Fellowship of St Arnou to hold function in Melbourne Letters: Media war declared (letter) - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Embryo experimentation (letter) - Brian A. Coman Letters: Radical feminism (letter) - Gordon Southern Letters: Brisbane Synod (letter) - J.F. Nolan Letters: Anglican Church (letter) - Fr James Grant SSC Letters: Office of Bishop (letter) - Fr Brendan T. Walters MSC Letters: Headline (letter) - Michael Starr Letters: Birth control (letter) - Kevin Tighe Letters: Insulting TV program (letter) - K.L. Hanrahan Letters: Tough teachings (letter) - Mrs Maureen Federico Letters: Offertory prayers (letter) - John Mulholland Letters: Exorcists (letter) - Monica J. Hart Letters: EWTN (letter) - Jacqueline Donohue Letters: Anonymity (letter) - Narelle Mullins Books: The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Scripture Diary 2003 Books: Bernard Of Clairvaux: Essential Writings - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: A Generation Betrayed: Deconstructing Catholic Education, by Eamonn Keane - John Young (reviewer) Books: Ideal Christmas Gifts from AD Books Reflection: St Maria Goretti's 'perfect Christian death' - Mary Kenny

They are not just targeting Archbishop Pell (October AD2000), they have declared war on him. Since no prelate has done more to clean up corruption in the clergy than Dr Pell, other agendas are clearly at play.

First there was the Channel Nine ambush of Dr Pell. With the cunning of Al-Queda operatives, they came for the great man, not to dialogue, nor even to rebuke. They came to destroy. There followed an extraordinary onslaught in the newspapers, the sensationalist anti-Pell headlines often at variance with the content of the ensuing articles.

Worst was The Age, back to its glory days as the dinosaur of anti-Catholicism in Melbourne (Brontosaurus Anticatholicus Australopithecus).

Southern Cross Radio's Neil "Belfast" Mitchell, of visceral anti-Catholicism, was at his Catholic-bashing best. The ABC joined in with comedy skits. In one, broadcast on 9 August, the punchline read: "That shows you that someone [they were referring to Dr Pell] who has his head up his a*** shouldn't open his mouth."

Such is what passes as comedy at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, an organisation totally funded by the taxpayer.

Many Catholics want to fight back. In America, the Catholic League uses a website to monitor anti-Catholicism in the media and organise Catholic resistance. They have had some successes. Could something similar be done here?

It is urgent that we take action. The criminal accusation that was meant as the coup de grace against the Archbishop came out of the media-inspired anti-Pell hatred. What will it inspire next? An assassination attempt?

FR M. SHADBOLT PP
Catholic Priests' Anti-Defamation League
Doveton, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 10 (November 2002), p. 13