Heretical priests and the media

[lag]

When is it ok to disclose a heretical priest to the media? Only when the normal chain of command is exhausted? Is one considered a schismatic if he/she discloses the truth and therefore taints a priests reputation?

 

[thistle]

lag:

When is it ok to disclose a heretical priest to the media? Only when the normal chain of command is exhausted? Is one considered a schismatic if he/she discloses the truth and therefore taints a priests reputation?

I might be wrong but if you make known something bad publicly (i.e. it was not previously publicly known) about a person and damage their reputation even if what you make known is true then that is the mortal sin of detraction.

 

[lag]

Not to compare heresy with the priest child molestors. Isn’t it true that if it were not for the media we may never have known about them? Was that detraction? We read so much about priests who openly defy the teachings of the church and I have read so many posts where people have tried to confront the priests, bishops ect… but nothing ever gets done. Are these people who go public breaking the tenth commandment? I tend to think not but don’t know.

 

[Eileen_T]

From what I have heard in the media, they deliberately go after people who will fit their agenda. Read Bias by Bernard Goldberg.

“So when reporters go out and cover stories on these big hot social issues, they don’t go out to learn what this side thinks and what that side thinks. They already have their take on these issues, and their take is overwhelmingly a liberal take on these issues.”

“And then they go out and they interview somebody – and the conservative point of view is very often the other side of the argument. There is a main side and an other side. The main side in affirmative action, for instance, is that affirmative action is a wonderful thing. The main side in gay marriage is who would be against gay marriage except some bigot. And then they go out and they find that other side. Because otherwise it would be so blatantly biased that they couldn’t get away with it.”