The mainstream media is so predictable. Pope Benedict releases a beautiful reflection on the Eucharist called “The Sacrament of Love” and what is the headline we see in newspapers?
“Pope refuses to relent on remarried Catholics, tells politicians to toe church line.”
And just who was demanding he relent? In what way was this a refusal of somebody’s request? The article goes on to bring up gay marriage. The document said nothing about gay marriage.
It’s the same pattern every time. The Church and the Pope are always reported through the same, old filters that the media impose on them: sex and politics. Rather the approaching the document for what it is, they’re always pigeonholing it.
If you really want to see what the document says, you have to read the Catholic media and Catholic blogs, or read it for yourself.
Incidentally, it makes you wonder what other topics the media is treating the same way…
Technorati Tags:Catholic, media bias, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis
Well, he did indirectly refer to debates over gay marriage, in underscoring “the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman” as a “non-negotiable.” So they did get at least that one point, even if they did twist it and magnify it.
It seems that all papers have a sort of template, as our Montreal Gazette printed a nearly identical headline in this morning’s edition. Funny, really, when all one has to do is go to the Vatican website, download the document, print it out, and study it. But of course, most people prefer fast food a la McDonalds to a delicious meal home-cooked from scratch. It takes less effort, after all, and the modern culture as we know is all about speed and instant gratification. Sigh …