Editor of Vatican paper comes out swinging on the crisis [John Allen]

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By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome
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On the same day the Vatican published a "layman’s guide” to canonical procedures when a priest is accused of sexual abuse, the editor of the Vatican newspaper, *L’Osservatore Romano*, dropped by Rome’s Foreign Press Club to talk about the crisis that has engulfed Pope Benedict XVI in recent weeks.

Gian Maria Vian, a lay professor of history tapped to take over *L’Osservatore Romano* in October 2007, offered a robust defense of both the church and the pope. Vian generally kept his cool, though at one point he became testy in complaining that the media reads the crisis into everything said or done at the Vatican these days – a reflection, perhaps, of the intense pressure of the last few weeks.

Vian conceded that there were “great failures in governance” that made the crisis possible, but also insisted that the church now has an “exemplary” approach to the problem of sexual abuse of children, and blamed what he called a “media campaign” for tarnishing the pope’s image.

“Honestly, the Holy See is doing everything possible to resolve this horrible scandal,” Vian said.
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It has been a WITCH HUNT from the get go. And I thought the Media couldn’t loose any more of my respect. HA! I do believe they are at a point of no return in the ethics department! I have never seen such outright fabrications drummed up by the Media!!! They put a whole new meaning to the word “SPIN”. Vian was charitable in his statement about Media SPIN. A little too charitable in fact.
 
Tantum_ergo said:
FWIW, you do know that the bishop in question has stated that he did not make the remarks that were ‘attributed’ to him?
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It amazes me how gullible people really are. Naive and taking as gospel truth everything in print. The Media has lost so much credibility especially in the last several years, I honestly don’t know how anyone can believe what they read. I guess the saying is as relevant today as it has always been; “Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.” Media corruption is at an all time high, no longer can you just label the Media as “biased”, it has evolved to the next level.
 
Teelynn said:
It has been a WITCH HUNT from the get go. And I thought the Media couldn’t loose any more of my respect. HA! I do believe they are at a point of no return in the ethics department! I have never seen such outright fabrications drummed up by the Media!!! They put a whole new meaning to the word “SPIN”. Vian was charitable in his statement about Media SPIN. A little too charitable in fact.
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This is true in part. Journalists do behave outrageously at times and will do anything to get a big story. However, if it were not for a few very brave journalists and victims of abuse here in Ireland, we would never have uncovered the horrific level of serial abuse by the church and the subsequent and ongoing cover up and lack of accountability.
 
Teelynn said:
It amazes me how gullible people really are. Naive and taking as gospel truth everything in print. The Media has lost so much credibility especially in the last several years, I honestly don’t know how anyone can believe what they read. I guess the saying is as relevant today as it has always been; “Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.” Media corruption is at an all time high, no longer can you just label the Media as “biased”, it has evolved to the next level.
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And, of course, the line “that’s not what I said” is one of the oldest lines in the book when someone is caught saying something they regret.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
And, of course, the line “that’s not what I said” is one of the oldest lines in the book when someone is caught saying something they regret.
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Yep, this is true as well. But that fact does not minimize the total disfunction of the Media. No longer is there even a shred of seeking the truth in a story for the good of informing the country. The credibility of the Media is totally non existent. Facts are not pertinent any longer…sensationalism and “juice” are the only criteria for a good story.
 
Teelynn said:
No longer is there even a shred of seeking the truth in a story for the good of informing the country. The credibility of the Media is totally non existent. Facts are not pertinent any longer…sensationalism and “juice” are the only criteria for a good story.
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Saying it doesn’t make it so. But if that is your conviction, I don’t think anyone can persuade you otherwise. Still, it’s worth considering whether all “Media” can be described as you say - I think this is as true as making a statement about all Catholics, or all Americans, etc.
 
It can’t be a “witch hunt” when actual pedophiles and other child molestors have been found among the clergy. Even the Vatican acknowledges there have been many cases of abuse.

I don’t know where some people get the idea that the media only reports on sexual abuse when a priest is involved. That is false, as any average day’s viewing of cable news would show. (What was the last week to pass without an Amber alert, a lookout for a missing child, with the assumption that a sex offender was responsible? Those people are never assumed to be priests.)
 
Digitonomy said:
Saying it doesn’t make it so. But if that is your conviction, I don’t think anyone can persuade you otherwise. Still, it’s worth considering whether all “Media” can be described as you say - I think this is as true as making a statement about all Catholics, or all Americans, etc.
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OK…shall we say the “Main Stream Media”. There may be a few good journalists left, but for the most part the secular, atheists that permeate the main stream are corrupt to the core. They report what they want and when they want, with an agenda that is hostile to Christians and most especially Catholic Christians and any kind of conservative traditional values. I’ve seen enough in the last several years that at least in my opinion is unmistakable.
 
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