Catholics have filled the internet with venom and vitriol, says Vatican media advisor

[Michie]

Blessed are the bloggers.

The internet has brought a golden age of evangelical opportunity.

Continued below.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2016/05/19/blessed-are-the-bloggers/

 

[LivingWordUnity]

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account."

— Christ Jesus (Mt 5:11)

 

[Martinius]

It is most often directed at Catholics.

That is true, but too often FROM other Catholics.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

That is true, but too often FROM other Catholics.

I agree. I've experienced personal attacks frequently on here from people, often even from someone who identifies as Catholic.

 

[Fantine]

My belief, which I have stated many times here, is that Catholicism means "Here comes everybody." I think there is room for everyone. I think there is room for a wide diversity of opinions, styles of worship, hymns, and ministries.

And I am fine with everyone who feels the same. If people want to attend TLM's that's fine with me as long as they don't expect me to. I applaud people who work in pregnancy support centers as long as they're not electioneering. It frees me to work in other vineyards--Habitat for Humanity, the Guatemalan orphans, the children with cancer I will go to camp with in two weeks.

I've been involved in church music for decades, and have played and sung many styles. There are good and bad pieces in every genre.

I believe strongly that when a congregation recites the Creed simultaneously, each person has his own personal perception and appreciation of the words--and no matter how many times you change "one in being" to "consubstantial" that will never change. Do you think that even one person changed their perception of the Trinity because the words "one in being" were changed to "consubstantial?" Most people don't even know what it means--and don't care.

I like inclusive blogs. I dislike exclusionary blogs. Don't should on me--or anyone else.

 

[Martinius]

I agree. I've experienced personal attacks frequently on here from people, often even from someone who identifies as Catholic.

I was probably one of those.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I was probably one of those.

I don't remember it if you did.

 

[Martinius]

I don't remember it if you did.

Good, maybe it was someone else. I mean, how could you not remember those antlers?

 

[Gnarwhal]

Fr Thomas Rosica said many Catholics were guilty of character assassination and 'being against everyone and everything'



http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/new...venom-and-vitriol-says-vatican-media-advisor/

Man's got a point.

 

[SnowyMacie]

I agree with what the others have said about it being an issue not just confined to Catholicism, but all of Christianity.

 

[grandvizier1006]

I am an ex-Catholic Christian. I self identify as a liberal Christian but I am loath to call myself a Protestant Christian. After a great many years on the internet, I think that I am being honest in saying that I have observed far more anger and hatred from Protestants than from Catholics.

As much as I don't like to admit, we Protestants can sometimes be less educated. Some of us can't imagine Christianity being practiced differently. I still can't, sometimes. Although I'd say a good many Protestants here are decent.

 

[Athanasias]

Yes. I find this person's rantings unjustly biased (his wonderful "many non-Christian and non-believing friends" no doubt played a part) if not outright misleading and unfair. You can find trolls/etc cutting across all faiths and any other demographic you care to name.

Sounds like the Vatican is in dire need of a new "media advisor."

Amen! Well said.

 

[Open Heart]

This is not a thread to bash regular traditionalism. I think it has its place. Although I'm not personally a traditionalist (I'm middle of the road) I myself have some traditionalist preferences. For example, I prefer the Latin Mass.

But I think I'd create a special category for what I call "radical traditionalists." These are the sort who i.e. constantly disrespect Pope Francis by calling him Jorge Bergoglio, who speak about his so-called apostasy, who say that Pope Benedict's resignation is invalid, even nefarious Jews, global conspiracies, yada yada...

It's gotten so bad, especially on the Internet, that Fr. Rosica, an English aide at the Vatican Press Office, has publicly mourned the issue.

“Many of my non-Christian and non-believing friends have remarked to me that we ‘Catholics’ have turned the Internet into a cesspool of hatred, venom and vitriol, all in the name of defending the faith!”

“The character assassination on the Internet by those claiming to be Catholic and Christian has turned it into a graveyard of corpses strewn all around,” Rosica said.

He went further with the withering remark, “Often times the obsessed, scrupulous, self-appointed, nostalgia-hankering virtual guardians of faith or of liturgical practices are very disturbed, broken and angry individuals, who never found a platform or pulpit in real life and so resort to the Internet and become trolling pontiffs and holy executioners!..in reality they are deeply troubled, sad and angry people.”

Rosica’s final comment: “We must pray for them, for their healing and conversion!”

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/...gs-may-be-a-cesspool-but-saying-so-wont-help/

 

[mea kulpa]

Yes you should trust this man Father Thomas Rosica... he will give you the truth listen to him

"TORONTO, 22 October, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Liberal Catholic press-people have recently touted a man some call Canada’s leading dissenter since the 1960s - former Catholic priest Gregory Baum - because of his role as an expert, or peritus, to the Canadian bishops at Vatican II. Baum, an advocate of homosexual ‘marriage’ and sex outside of marriage and contraception, was lauded by Fr. Thomas Rosica"

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/s...regory-baum-lauded-by-canadian-catholic-media

No wonder he laments the internet

 

[Martinius]

We will ignore the obvious backhanded "compliment" of post #2. The article referred to by the OP was written by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, a fairly orthodox priest who doesn't cater to "liberals". He cites a variety of blogs and media sources to show that what Fr. Rosica said is true.

The anger about and disdain for Pope Francis and Vatican II in many blogs and articles is obvious, and embarrassing. It is not just a matter of disagreeing, but amount of the "venom and vitriol" is shameful. As well as assigning guilt by association, as was done above.

All Fr. Rosica did was state the obvious, but which many at the Vatican and elsewhere in the Church hope we are not smart enough to notice.

 

[mea kulpa]

Of course its only true in your and his opinion... an opinion i disagree with

 

[s_gunter]

Again, we go after the source (this time, Fr. Rosica), instead of what was said. Sure, Fr. Rosica making these comments would make a person raise an eyebrow at what was said, considering what he said about an ex-communicated priest. I admit that reading that link provided above made the little hairs on the back of my neck rise. However, we shouldn't automatically dismiss what was said merely because of a less than stellar source. Search out his (Fr. Rosica's) claims. Are there a Catholic groups that still calls Pope Francis Jorge Bergoglio? Yes. Are there Catholic blogs who insist that Pope Benedict XVI resigned under pressure, thereby invalidating Pope Francis's election? Yes, those blogs exist. Are there Catholic sites that promulgate global conspiracies? Yes. Is it possible, if not likely, to find websites with Catholics saying all sorts of nasty things directed at those who don't believe as strongly or exactly as they do? Yes. I personally can understand why he said what he said: “The character assassination on the Internet by those claiming to be Catholic and Christian has turned it into a graveyard of corpses strewn all around," and, “Many of my non-Christian and non-believing friends have remarked to me that we ‘Catholics’ have turned the Internet into a cesspool of hatred, venom and vitriol, all in the name of defending the faith!”

Fr. Rosica is right here. I just wish it was someone of better repute who had said it.

 

[s_gunter]

Of course its only true in your and his opinion... an opinion i disagree with

Would you have a better opinion of Fr. Rosica if he were to support Bishop Fellay?

 

[MikeK]

This is not a thread to bash regular traditionalism. I think it has its place. Although I'm not personally a traditionalist (I'm middle of the road) I myself have some traditionalist preferences. For example, I prefer the Latin Mass.

But I think I'd create a special category for what I call "radical traditionalists." These are the sort who i.e. constantly disrespect Pope Francis by calling him Jorge Bergoglio, who speak about his so-called apostasy, who say that Pope Benedict's resignation is invalid, even nefarious Jews, global conspiracies, yada yada...

It's gotten so bad, especially on the Internet, that Fr. Rosica, an English aide at the Vatican Press Office, has publicly mourned the issue.

“Many of my non-Christian and non-believing friends have remarked to me that we ‘Catholics’ have turned the Internet into a cesspool of hatred, venom and vitriol, all in the name of defending the faith!”

“The character assassination on the Internet by those claiming to be Catholic and Christian has turned it into a graveyard of corpses strewn all around,” Rosica said.

He went further with the withering remark, “Often times the obsessed, scrupulous, self-appointed, nostalgia-hankering virtual guardians of faith or of liturgical practices are very disturbed, broken and angry individuals, who never found a platform or pulpit in real life and so resort to the Internet and become trolling pontiffs and holy executioners!..in reality they are deeply troubled, sad and angry people.”

Rosica’s final comment: “We must pray for them, for their healing and conversion!”

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/...gs-may-be-a-cesspool-but-saying-so-wont-help/

I'm with you. It is nothing short of embarrassing that you cannot have a discussion about love for the Latin Mass or the countless beautiful traditions of Christ's Church without the lunatic fringe jumping in with bizarro world conspiracies about Pope Francis or Pope Benedict or debunked "prophesies" or "evidence" that we are in the "end times". I have even seen posters on this very forum suggest that Pope Francis is a heretic.

 

[concretecamper]

Radical Traditionalists? To me the word radical is an attempt to negatively characterize people who hold to the Traditions of the Church. It is in the same vain as calling Traditionalists fundamentalists. Why not just say Traditionalists.