A war of ideologies
Within hours of touching down in Israel this month, Pope Benedict made known his views on the conflict in the Holy Land, coming down strongly on injustices visited upon Palestinians and calling for an equitable two-state solution to the present impasse between Israel and Palestinians. Much as his thoughts are dominated by nuance, the pope is not captive to the delicacies of diplomacy when he feels that a strong position needs to be taken, nor to media-friendly soundbites. This often exposes him to being misunderstood, and indeed wilfully misrepresented, by those who regard him with suspicion.
When Fr Giandomenico Mucci SJ wrote in the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica this month that the secular media in the West are propagating a campaign of hostility against the pope and the Catholic Church, he bemoaned the persistent misinterpretation of the pope’s words, suggesting that this is part of a systematic campaign to marginalise the Church from public discourse.
Fr Mucci makes a valid point: the secular media often lack respect when covering the Church, and religion in general. Their disregard finds expression in misrepresentation and in ignorance. It is telling that many secular newspapers, especially in South Africa, have no specialist reporters covering the religion beat; editors assign stories concerning religious matters to journalists who are ill-equipped to write them. This in itself suggests that the secular media generally regard religion as irrelevant — and perpetuate this perceived irrelevance by the inferior standards applied to that coverage. It is not helpful that the Catholic Church, like other faith communities, often neglects to attach a priority to nurturing its relationship with the media.
Fr Mucci is reaching too far, however, when he insinuates that this negative coverage is orchestrated. It is unlikely that there exists an international body tasked with coordinating a systematic anti-Church agenda. The secular media’s antagonism towards religion in general is informal and therefore difficult universally to define and transform.
Fr Mucci is correct in observing what amounts to an ideological war between secular society (represented by its media) and the Catholic Church. In sum, the moral teachings of the Church are often in conflict with the prevailing secular culture which they seek to address. But in that ideological conflict, it would be wrong to see the Church as a hapless victim of aggression. There are representatives of the Church — though thankfully not the pope — who are as guilty of reductionism as the secular media which Fr Mucci criticises.
When a non-Catholic’s failure to embrace Catholic teachings becomes the criterion in discerning his moral fitness, at the expense of anything else, then the Church becomes embroiled in an unedifying ideological stand-off in which there cannot be two winners.
The Church’s moral teachings, including and especially those governing life issues, must be the subject of persuasion, not forming the basis for mutual demonisation; little is served by using the magisterum for divisive purposes other than inflaming sentiments already hostile to the Church.
The discourse on issues concerning the Church, especially on life ethics, must be forthright and vigorous, but it must be leavened by respect and charity. This must apply both ways: to the critics who distort the Church’s message and seek to marginalise it, and especially to those of us who seek to spread the word of God’s love.
- The Look of Christ - May 24, 2022
- Putting Down a Sleeping Toddler at Communion? - March 30, 2022
- To See Our Good News - March 23, 2022
