Fox Friends & Fr. Jonathan Morris Ignore Catholic Pedophilia Scandal In Discussing Pope's Resignation

The news of Pope Benedict's surprise resignation topped the chart on this morning's news shows. And while some of the discussion involved questions surrounding the Pope's health, there was more than a mention of the global and systemic Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal which has enveloped not only the papacy of Benedict, but his role as a bishop in Germany and head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. But in the sacred sanctuary of Fox & Friends, neither the "Friends" nor Fox's resident clergyman Fr. Jonathan Morris mentioned this stain on the papacy which, in addition to sexual abuse, includes allegations of Vatican corruption. Interesting.

Fr. Morris, on an audio feed, said he was shocked when, as he was getting ready to board a plane (he does lots of traveling) he heard the news. Morris spoke, in general terms, about the papacy. Nobody asked, as was done on Morning Joe during their interview with a priest, about Benedict's legacy because, one surmises, the issue of the Pope's handling of the Catholic sex abuse scandal could have come up.

After some talk about whether age would be a factor in the selection of the next pope, Brian Kilmeade put in a plug for Fox fave, NY's Cardinal Timothy Dolan who is head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops whose views on the HHS mandate received extensive validation from Fox News. Kilmeade said that he didn't know any cardinals; "but it's hard to imagine a cardinal with more charisma and than the one we have here, Cardinal Dolan." He asked Morris if Dolan is a "legitimate contender." Morris enthused about Dolan, with whom he is very close, as "such a likeable, good holy man."

Morris then spoke about how the Pope's role is to preserve and protect Catholic dogma but in recent years, the pope's functions seem to be expanding as shown by the Pope's new Twitter feed. (Still no women!) He said that he found the pope's resignation "humble and a positive sign of changing with the times." Gretchen closed with a comment about this is "interesting because a lot of times, folks don't go out on top so to speak and this is a pure example of humility in that sense." (Was she making an oblique reference to the abuse scandal?)

While in another segment, Fox reporter Greg Palkot did bring up the scandal, it wasn't mentioned during this segment. Interesting.

And BTW, one of the legacies of Benedict was his laying the papal hammer down on Fr. Jonathan Morris' former order, the Legionaries of Christ, whose leader, Fr. Marciel Maciel, was not exactly a model of holiness. Somehow I doubt if you'll hear about that from the cute little Fox padre!

Do you like this post?

	Tweet

Showing 17 reactions

Chris Morillo commented 2013-02-12 20:35:25 -0500 · Flag

sick disgusting religion all who follow are either ignorant or stupid! sorry no other explanation for the thousands of CHILD rape cases within the church which most are hushed up, and $2,500,000,000 awarded to victims thats a lot of sunday collections!think of that next time you cough up for mass

Aria Prescott commented 2013-02-12 15:42:05 -0500 · Flag

Bemused: That’s why I said “seemed like”. I know about some of the disgusting things he did, and I heard a few stories… But he did a good job convincing me (and a lot of other people) that he was a good man that couldn’t handle his position. Even miliant atheists seemed to like him.

Benedict may have been the better man; he may have been the better man in the position. But he came across as cold, uncaring. Many people dregged up his past as a Nazi because there was a point where people were concerned he still believed the philosophy.

His “protect the priest” mentality on the sex scandals he presided over didn’t help, either.

bemused commented 2013-02-12 11:22:14 -0500 · Flag

@aussie onlooker: No way they’ll elect someone so young because most of the cardinals under age 70 are still hopeful. Although everybody seems to believe in an alternation between old and young, methinks there’s no way that the warring factions will back down any time soon.

FWIW: A few centuries ago, a Papal election in Viterbo had been going on for several years, until the local government, sick and tired of feeding the college of Cardinals, decided to rip the roof off of the venue. Within the space of a week or so, Habemus Papam was called out.

bemused commented 2013-02-12 11:17:48 -0500 · Flag

@aria: Methinks you are too kind to JP II who hid a pretty nasty nature behind that jovial public face, whereas Benedict may have been a kinder man who was caught between warring factions that he’d pretty much out-manoeuvred in order to get elected. The warring factions on all sides survived the defeat and were making his life miserable. While I resented practically everything he stood for, I feel for his pain and loneliness.

The lightening strike of today will, of course, be perceived as a signal from the supreme top dog but against/for whom??

The top theological minds on all sides are beavering away to work out how to spin that to best advantage and I’ve just bought all the popcorn available in the local supermarket.

aussie onlooker commented 2013-02-12 06:48:40 -0500 · Flag

i reckon the way too cute and jeffrey dahmer doppelgamer, father morris should be appointed the new pope.

Average American Patriot commented 2013-02-11 16:43:58 -0500 · Flag

In another crazy coincidence, and of course I have no means to verify otherwise, but check this out:

Lightning strikes St. Peter’s

http://www.excelsior.com.mx/global/2013/02/11/883714

Rayo pega en la basílica de San Pedro tras la renuncia del Papa

Un fotógrafo capta el momento exacto en que un relámpago toca la punta de la cúpula del templo

EFE

11/02/2013 13:28

George Kokoropoulos commented 2013-02-11 16:00:30 -0500 · Flag

was doocy crying this morning? i bet he was crying.

Kelly Adair commented 2013-02-11 15:17:55 -0500 · Flag

The problem with JP II was his unwavering support for Marcial Maciel – drug addict, pedophile, children out of wedlock. I always wondered if Benny fast-tracking JP II to sainthood had something to do this. The Vatican sure did love the $ Maciel was able to raise, that’s for sure. His crimes started as far back as 1944.

Aria Prescott commented 2013-02-11 15:09:23 -0500 · Flag

I didn’t agree with a lot of what John Paul II decreed, but at least he seemed like a good man. I don’t care what it makes me sound like to admit I think Benedict is a piece of shit.

Fox News probably thought he was just awesome, though.

Average American Patriot commented 2013-02-11 13:43:24 -0500 · Flag

BTY,

The wingnutzphere is still packed with braying clowns crying that President Obama, the mooselin usurper, is trying to materialize the teachings of BLACK liberation theology by appealing to minorities and their zeal to punish white folks.

Average American Patriot commented 2013-02-11 13:03:00 -0500 · Flag

To borrow from the Doochey bag, this is HUUUUGE.

No kidding.

And as I said, there are so many angles, some of my comments may seem disjointed, because it is quite difficult to paint the whole picture in just a short post.

These are some of the Holy Father’s views. I probably don’t need to say where I have a problem with his opinion.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict_xvi_cautions_against_dangers_of_marxist_liberation_theology/

Vatican City, Dec 7, 2009 / 11:42 am (CNA).- In a meeting with a group of Brazilian bishops on Saturday, the Holy Father warned of the dangers of Marxist liberation theology and noted its grave consequences for ecclesial communities.

During the ad limina visit, the Pope recalled that “last August marked 25 years since the Instruction “Libertatis nuntius” of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on certain aspects of liberation theology. The document “highlights the danger involved in the uncritical absorption, by certain theologians, of theses and methodologies that come from Marxism.”

The Pope warned that the “more or less visible” scars of Marxist liberation theology, such as “rebellion, division, dissent, offenses, anarchy, are still being felt, causing great suffering and a grave loss of dynamic strength in your diocesan communities.”

For this reason, he exhorted all those who in some way feel attracted or affected by “certain deceitful principles of liberation theology” to re-visit the instruction and be open to the light that it can shed on the subject.

Benedict XVI also recalled that “the supreme rule of faith of the Church in effect arises from the unity that the Spirit established between Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church, in such reciprocity that they cannot subsist independently of each other,” as John Paul II explained in his encyclical “Fides et Ratio.”

The Instruction “Libertatis nuntius” was published on August 6, 1984, with the approval of Pope John Paul II, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Its purpose was to focus the attention of pastors, theologians and all the faithful on the deviations of certain forms of liberation theology that are dangerous for the faith and for the Christian life and that are based on Marxist thought.

It warned that the grave ideological deviations of Marxist liberation theology inevitably lead to the betrayal of the cause of the poor and that a Marxist analysis of reality leads to the acceptance of positions that are incompatible with the Christian vision of man.

Kelly Adair commented 2013-02-11 12:18:55 -0500 · Flag

Ignore the “health” spin. Benny’s willingness to look the other way while the pedophilia buck stopped at HIS desk, Mahony’s resignation, the damning HBO documentary, Irish church finally accepting responsibility for horrific sexual abuse in Ireland, etc. etc. Benny just couldn’t take it anymore and is getting out while the getting is good. Popes die in office – PERIOD. Perhaps he didn’t die quickly enough?

truman commented 2013-02-11 11:49:36 -0500 · Flag

The Roman Catholic Church absolutely reeks with corruption, scandal and cover-ups.

Average American Patriot commented 2013-02-11 11:49:10 -0500 · Flag

That’s really something else.

It is difficult to approach these news from any angle, so I guess any angle will do.

The Pope is resigning?

Uh?

Just how the flock does he do that?

I certainly don’t expect the trio of morons in the morning to delve into any of the centuries of dogma crashing, but leave it to those morons pimping their cleric acquaintances as if they had any relevance.

In just one of the many ironies, have those morons at Fox bothered to explain Popes are ELECTED?

You know, to remind them dog fearing Fox viewers we have just re-elected the Obama Messiah.

Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

Anne-claire Souza commented 2013-02-11 11:42:01 -0500 · Flag

Popes don’t resign as a rule methinks,a juicy scandal brewing is much more feasible.
Since the Fox Channel is infested with good caring loving Catholics it will be very very interesting to watch how they are going to spin this mess.

the Mike commented 2013-02-11 11:22:40 -0500 · Flag

nothing really exists in the mind of a fox news viewer

NewsHounds posted about Fox Friends & Fr. Jonathan Morris Ignore Catholic Pedophilia Scandal In Discussing Pope's Resignation on NewsHounds' Facebook page 2013-02-11 11:19:23 -0500

Fox Friends & Fr. Jonathan Morris Ignore Catholic Pedophilia Scandal In Discussing Pope's Resignation