Blog
Defending Pope Benedict
March 30, 2010
Over the last two weeks, an assault on the good name and reputation of Pope Benedict XVI has been launched by various Western media outlets, above all by the New York Times. In brief, Pope Benedict has been accused of being insufficiently responsive to incidences of the sexual abuse of children in the past.
CMA members should keep Pope Benedict in their prayers, and be ready to effectively respond to these attacks whenever possible. Here are some resources to help with the latter task.
- Fr. Raymond de Souza responds to the many inaccuracies in the New York Times reporting and raises important questions about the sources of its information.
- The presiding canonical judge in the Milwaukee case has personally spoken out to provide accurate information about what actually happened there.
- John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter (generally a liberal newspaper) provides important historical context for the role of Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI in abuse cases over the years.
- Cardinal Levada weighs in from Rome.
These attacks are outrageous not only for the sloppy, unprofessional reporting involved, but above all for the evident and completely unjustified animus expressed toward the Pope. Again, please keep the Pope in your prayers, especially during this Holy Week.
