The Pope's Legacy Needs Your Support

Raymond L. Flynn
National President of Your Catholic Voice
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and Mayor of Boston

Annual Pro-Life Breakfast, Chicopee, MA

Sometimes when faithful Catholics get frustrated and upset with the news about the Church, they fire back by complaining that the media is anti-Catholic. This sentiment and feeling was certainly heightened during the recent clergy sex abuse crisis in the United States. People who had a long held averse attitude for the Church were now able to openly charge Church leaders with hypocrisy in being more concerned about protecting the image of the Church, rather than the protection of children. Without doubt some of these same Church leaders gave their critics plenty of ammunition and they certainly took advantage of every opportunity to do so. Some in the media were more than willing to exaggerate the situation by constantly recycling the same story over and over again, creating the image to readers and viewers that they were watching breaking news about the sex abuse scandal. Fortunately, the Church now has a new policy in place, which mandates that all serious accusations of sex abuse by clergy, must be immediately turned over to appropriate law authorities for investigation. This is a policy that should have been in place decades ago.

This past month while in Rome, I had a chance to discuss concerns that many Catholics have about the deep divide that is growing between American Catholics and the media. I also spoke at length with U.S. reporters from Los Angeles to New York and from Italy to the United Kingdom.

Being a member of the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the 25th Anniversary of John Paul II as pope and the Beatification of Mother Teresa, I also had the opportunity to talk with many leading Vatican and American religious officials, academic, scholars, and political representatives, some of whom were non-Catholic. I will admit that this division and mistrust is not just felt by leading religious officials, many faithful Catholics throughout the United States also share it.

I could cite many concrete examples of the chasm between the media and Catholics, but in the interest of offering constructive suggestions I will share a recent example of this anti-Catholics bias, which I observed in the media. While the events at the Vatican were ongoing the, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) chose to air a devastating television report about how the policies of John Paul II over the past 25 years regarding human sexuality have resulted in a dramatic increase in child abuse, poverty, hunger, disease, prostitution and death. The New York Times wrote in detail the day Pope John Paul II issued a statement about how bishops should lead simple and humble lives of poverty; the same day they attended a lavish lunch at the Vatican. Planting a seed of hypocrisy for the reader was unmistakable. The media appeared to others and me in our delegation as anything but objective and fair. But why such hostility? Is this new? Is this negativism actually affecting Catholics attitude about their Church? The answer to that question is yes. Just today I read an article in a French newspaper and another report about a Washington Post - ABC poll that reported, that church attendance is dramatically down. It also pointed out that many Catholics disagree with the pope and his teachings have lost confidence in the Church. Some have said, "Don't be pessimistic, all this shall pass." I'm sure that is true, but it will take time. But in the meantime, too many people have lost faith.

I will not try to tell the media what they should do, or suggest that they have a responsibility to help improve the Church's image. That's not their obligation or responsibility. It may not even be in the competence or ability of Church officials either at the Vatican or in the United States to be able to turn things around. Restoring public confidence in the Catholic Church may be something that only the laity can do, something they have never been inclined or welcomed to do in the past. But things have changed and waiting out the storm may be too risky and take too long.

Many suggestions immediately come to mind, but the one area that Catholics have been reluctant to support is without doubt the most important, and that is making a financial commitment to help build a grass roots political movement by organizing lay Catholics; those faithful to the teaching and principles of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II has called Catholics to political and civic responsibility. This means more than showing up every two or four years to vote. Why is it that we understand the important role of money by lobbyists in Washington, including groups that strongly oppose much of Catholic Church teachings, but don't feel any responsibility to help political and legislative efforts on behalf of the values of the Catholic faith, and one's that I would also argue are in the best interests of a better United States.

Relying on my political experiences from the past many years, along with my commitment to our Catholic faith, I believe that I know what needs to be done, and how to do it. The two areas that I feel I could help my Church are activating my voice in the national media and trying to build a grass roots political organization in the country. I certainly succeeded on the first objective. I bet I have done more TV and radio interviews about politics and religion than just about anyone else in the United States. Many people from all over the country and world wrote or called me and thanked me for having the courage to defend the Church in its most difficult days.

The second objective I had was helping build a grass roots political movement of lay Catholics. So far, this has not happened, but Your Catholic Voice is trying very hard. Many people have been supportive; in fact they have been enthusiastic about what I have been doing. They have all said that they would pray for my efforts, but few of them contributed any money to do the job that needs to be done. When I worked in TV and radio, I often spent my own money to travel and speak at various events, without salary or reimbursements. Believe me, it's difficult to do the job that needs to be done without sufficient resources. It's just not possible. Certainly, there are many wonderful and important Catholics who offer support, but at this critical time, none are as important to the future of the Catholic Church in America than helping restore credibility. Priests and nuns can't do it. Bishops and cardinals can't do it. Only faithful Catholics can. In a meeting recently with respected Nevada businessmen, they gave me some very sound advise on how to achieve the objectives of Your Catholic Voice. "Keep your message short, clear and simple." But we need your financial help to build a living legacy for Pope John Paul II and our Catholic faith, by motivating, educating and activating Catholic citizens to political and social participation.

Contact

Your Catholic Voice
http://www.yourcatholicvoice.org CA, US
Ambassador
Raymond L. Flynn - President, 661 869-1000

Email

info@yourcatholicvoice.org

Keywords

Pope John Paul II, Vatican, Pope John Paul, Holy See

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »