Busy Being A Lily Among Thorns

What have I been up to lately? Reading the Catholic press. Unfortunately, some of the material written under the guise of Catholicism is very misleading. How can a writer call himself a practicing Catholic and then advocate (in the Catholic press) for betrothal which will make pre-marital relations morally acceptable? How can you argue that non-Catholic Christians ought to be able to receive the Real Presence in the Eucharist in a Catholic church, or it is no big deal for Catholic to receive elsewhere? Both of these articles are supposedly written by Catholic writers.

Printing this sort of material for Catholics to read is very dangerous. When a person reads something in a Catholic publication they believe the opinions expressed are from a Catholic viewpoint. This becomes difficult to stomach because the average American Catholic lacks in their formation. Since the Second Vatican Council basic faith formation has been lacking in structure and content. From an American perspective, there is 'freedom of the press' but that right assumes a certain responsibility on the part of the publisher to present accurate information. If you don't want to write from a Catholic perspective, than do not write under the guise of being Catholic. Write for secular magazines. There is a journalistic responsibility to be fair, accurate, and to check your facts repeatedly. I wouldn't call these publications journalism, or even opinion. Some of these things are flat out scandalous and sinful for the scandal they cause to unassuming Catholics who think they are reading about the ideas of their religion.

May the Holy Spirit grant these poor souls the wisdom to recognize a scandalous article when they read it. May God please grant these writers and publishers a conscience.