CruxNow - faithful to the magisterium?

[HomeschoolDad]

I enjoy reading CruxNow (www.cruxnow.com), and I am fully in agreement with the concept of an independent news source reporting on the Catholic Church — it keeps everyone honest — but I would like to know whether they are faithful to the magisterium. I have never seen any indications that they are not, except that John Allen was a longtime correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter — that does not mean that he, himself, is not orthodox, in all charity I have to assume he is. The NCReporter does some good coverage of social issues, but let’s just say it is not part of their mission statement to help Catholics be faithful to all of the teachings of the Church.

I hope nobody will take this in any negative sense. It’s just a question that should be taken at face value.

 

[Weserthy]

I read Crux fairly often, when something from there captures my attention or shows up on my news feed. I have not seen anything on their site (in the last 2-3 years) that is clearly heterodox, like advocating for tolerance of homosexuality, or women priests, like can be found on NCReporter. I read John Allen’s stuff on Crux but I never followed him when he was at NCReporter so I don’t know his story. It definitely makes me think twice about him, but the stuff I have seen from him on Crux has been OK for the most part, though he doesn’t really write about doctrinal issues too much, mostly internal Church matters and politics, and current events and commentary. The feel I get from him is that he leans more in favor of the progressive side but if he really does, then he doesn’t let it color his journalism. Overall in my opinion Crux can be worth reading as they cover some things that other outlets do not and have some interesting commentary from time to time.

 

[poche]

Sometimes we have to read with a Catholic Filter. Study your catechism. Know what the Catholic Church teaches and let that be your filter in what you read.

 

[BartholomewB]

though he doesn’t really write about doctrinal issues too much, mostly internal Church matters and politics, and current events and commentary.

Exactly. I’m not sure how you could tell whether he is faithful to the magisterium or not. News is news. I don’t think Crux can be accused of putting this or that slant on the news, either for or against.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Crux is fine. I read their news and listen to their radio program. I don’t detect any descent from Catholic teaching or a political slant a la fishwrap.

 

[Emeraldlady]

I hope nobody will take this in any negative sense. It’s just a question that should be taken at face value.

Cute.

I agree with you that everyone should be judged on their past. If you can describe your past to me as a truly orthodox Catholic, I will certainly take your claim with great seriousness! Thanks in anticipation.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Sometimes we have to read with a Catholic Filter. Study your catechism. Know what the Catholic Church teaches and let that be your filter in what you read.

You should not have to use a “filter” in reading Catholic journalism.

HomeschoolDad:

I hope nobody will take this in any negative sense. It’s just a question that should be taken at face value.

Cute.

I agree with you that everyone should be judged on their past. If you can describe your past to me as a truly orthodox Catholic, I will certainly take your claim with great seriousness! Thanks in anticipation.

I am going to give you a straight answer to your question.

Deep in my heart of hearts, I have always known that a Catholic must be faithful to the magisterium in all things, giving both external and internal assent to her teachings. If I have ever tried to persuade myself that the magisterium does not have to be followed, it was only because her teachings, if accepted and followed, threatened to make my life more difficult, and I wanted to have an easy life — “do not make me drink of this cup”. I refer to contraception, but not just contraception — there were other issues. Finally I surrendered and was at last able to lie down and go to sleep at night without fearing I would lose my soul for refusing to listen to Christ’s Vicar.

I cannot think that I am the only person in God’s One True Church who has ever experienced such discomfort and cognitive dissonance.

If I had ever been a public dissident — which I was not — I would have indeed had the duty to repudiate my errors publicly. I am going to give Mr Allen the benefit of the doubt and assume that, in spite of having written for the National Catholic Reporter, he himself never wrote or spoke contrary to the magisterium. He is a journalist, and it is his task to report the news fairly and truthfully, nothing more. He’s not an apologist. Nonetheless, given that the NCR has a history of being less than totally faithful to the magisterium, and people are going to associate him in their minds with NCR, he needs to do something to reassure his readers that CruxNow is a totally orthodox Catholic news source, and I have not seen that happening, hence my original question.

I detect a certain amount of exasperation in your question to me, so I am not going to engage in further point-counterpoint. You asked a question, and I have answered it.

 

[Dovekin]

You should not have to use a “filter” in reading Catholic journalism.

Good luck with that!

There are many Catholic journalists out there, from NCR to Church Militant, Life Site News to The Tablet. There are even more blogs with a variety of opinions and worldviews. You will end up with some pretty crazy ideas if you cannot filter out the craziest ideas.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

You should not have to use a “filter” in reading Catholic journalism.

Good luck with that!

There are many Catholic journalists out there, from NCR to Church Militant, Life Site News to The Tablet. There are even more blogs with a variety of opinions and worldviews. You will end up with some pretty crazy ideas if you cannot filter out the craziest ideas.

A blog run out of some sedevacantist guy’s mancave is not “Catholic journalism”. CM and LSN, though some regard them as obnoxious and extremist (“one man’s poison…”), do not AFAIK deny any teachings of the magisterium.

I’m assuming that The Tablet is more or less the UK version of the NCReporter — someone correct me if I’m wrong — and I would approach it with similar caution. I look at the NCR online merely for straight news coverage, or to see what the dissidents have to say, but I don’t take it as a guide to Catholic faith or practice. As I said in the OP, there is surely a place in the world for an independent news source on matters Catholic (even if it cannot use the word “Catholic” in its title, as the NCR has been asked to discontinue and refuses to do) — an organization that large needs an external, outside news source to analyze it and report on it, it keeps everyone honest, and we need more than diocesan house organs.

 

[BartholomewB]

I’m assuming that The Tablet is more or less the UK version of the NCReporter — someone correct me if I’m wrong — and I would approach it with similar caution.

There are three main Catholic weeklies in Britain, The Universe, the Catholic Herald, and The Tablet. Of the three, The Tablet is certainly the one that goes after the same market segment as the NCReporter, though it is not nearly as strident nor does it hammer away so insistently at its favorite leftwing causes. Here, for instance, is a markedly non-leftist comment on the British political scene in this week’s issue of The Tablet:

Is Boris Johnson actually leading the UK back to the centre?

 

[AngelaMarie]

I followed John Allen for years. He is a faithful Catholic. That aside, he is a . . . darn … . good journalist, Catholic or otherwise.

When he reports, he reports the facts, and has great insight into the Vatican

 

[commenter]

I am fully in agreement with the concept of an independent news source reporting on the Catholic Church — it keeps everyone honest — but I would like to know whether they are faithful to the magisterium

Independent of whom? The Magisterium?

How do you know if a source is “faithful to the Magisterium”?

This is something like a man saying “I follow medical advice, as long as it is right”. But how do you judge that? Your buddies at the bar? Websites?

 

[tafan2]

I have been a fan of John Allen since I read his book on Opus Dei (very even handedly done and well written and researched). I think he is a faithful Catholic and a very objective reporter. So I do trust Cruxnow.

 

[catholic03]

Crux is fine.

National Catholic Reporter, on the other hand…

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

I am fully in agreement with the concept of an independent news source reporting on the Catholic Church — it keeps everyone honest — but I would like to know whether they are faithful to the magisterium

Independent of whom? The Magisterium?

Independent of official Church auspices, that is, not affiliated with Rome, with any diocese, or any religious order or institute.

If they are not faithful to the magisterium, at the very least, I expect them to say so. I would like to see something on their editorial page along the lines of “we don’t always walk in lockstep with Rome — we have a variety of opinions within our editorial staff — but we are committed to reporting on all things Catholic with objectivity, truth, and fairness — where we find goodness and virtue, we’ll call it that, and where we find corruption and abuse, we’ll call that out for what it is, and condemn it as it should be condemned”. Short version: don’t use the NCReporter as your catechism.

I followed John Allen for years. He is a faithful Catholic. That aside, he is a . . . darn … . good journalist, Catholic or otherwise.

When he reports, he reports the facts, and has great insight into the Vatican

I’ve always gotten that impression and I have the highest regard for him as a journalist.

 

[commenter]

Independent of official Church auspices, that is, not affiliated with Rome, with any diocese, or any religious order or institute.

If they are not faithful to the magisterium,

By definition, these sources are not faithful to the Magisterium. Catholics setting up a religious media without approval of their Ordinary are in defiance of Pascendi (Pope St Pius X), Vatican 2, the Code of Canon Law, and other things.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

Independent of official Church auspices, that is, not affiliated with Rome, with any diocese, or any religious order or institute.

If they are not faithful to the magisterium,

By definition, these sources are not faithful to the Magisterium. Catholics setting up a religious media without approval of their Ordinary are in defiance of Pascendi (Pope St Pius X), Vatican 2, the Code of Canon Law, and other things.

I did not know that.

Would this apply to an independent news source that reports on Catholic issues but does not purport to be Catholic itself (assuming such an entity even exists)?

To use a secular analogy, the newspaper Stars and Stripes covers the US military but is entirely independent of the US government or its military. They provide a valuable service to our troops but they are not a “military newspaper”.

 

[EXdrinker]

Catholics setting up a religious media without approval of their Ordinary are in defiance of Pascendi (Pope St Pius X), Vatican 2, the Code of Canon Law, and other things.

i would like to review these sources. can you please narrow it down a little?

 

[po18guy]

As to CruxNow or any other source: Test the spirits.

 

[commenter]

commenter:

Catholics setting up a religious media without approval of their Ordinary are in defiance of Pascendi (Pope St Pius X), Vatican 2, the Code of Canon Law, and other things.

i would like to review these sources. can you please narrow it down a little?

Pascendi Sections 52 and 53. Too long to quote.

Vatican 2, Decree on the Media if Social Communications:

20 “It will be the task of the Bishops, however, to watch over such works and undertakings in their own dioceses, to promote them and, as far as the public apostolate is concerned, to guide them, not excluding those that are under the direction of exempt religious.”

Code of Canon Law, Book 3, title 4:
Can. 823 §1. “In order to preserve the integrity of the truths of faith and morals, the pastors of the Church have the duty and right to be watchful so that no harm is done to the faith or morals of the Christian faithful through writings or the use of instruments of social communication. They also have the duty and right to demand that writings to be published by the Christian faithful which touch upon faith or morals be submitted to their judgment and have the duty and right to condemn writings which harm correct faith or good morals.”