The Vatican obviously knew what it was doing when it hired former Fox News journalist, Greg Burke, to be its PR man. In discussing the upcoming papal election with Martha MacCallum, Burke showed us that his Fox News ability to provide biased coverage is a transferable skill. Opus Dei member Burke and fellow Catholic Martha MacCallum, whose face positively glowed with excitement about the new pope, chatted about the awesomeness of the upcoming Conclave and the Cardinals in attendance. And in keeping with the apparent Fox News policy of saying only positive things about the Church, there was no mention of the fact that almost all of these wonderful American cardinals have taken some serious sexual abuse baggage to Rome and that the Italian media (who must be as anti-Catholic as Fox says the American media is) feels that their Conclave presence is an "embarrassment." In his ability to obfuscate reality, former Fox News reporter Burke, who self flaggelates, is a perfect Vatican front man!
At the beginning of the piece, video was shown of commentary from Catholics in Rome about the Conclave. After a woman said that the presence of all Cardinals, saying Mass together in a Roman church, was "awesome," MacCallum breathlessly repeated the word "awesome." She and Burke also discussed the "American Contingent" and how, according to Burke, they are reflective of an energetic church, despite "the problems it has had." He described the American Catholic Church as a rich church in terms of what it has done for the country. He referenced Cardinal Dolan's sense of humor. He also said that the Italian media likes the "open" spirit of the American contingent. In summing up the upcoming Conclave, MacCallum said that what the cardinals are looking for in a new pope "requires that American spirit...in terms of that gregariousness and ability to reach a lot of people. Burke cited the "postive nature of the church in the US" which has had a "positive effect for other." In keeping, albeit in a subtle manner, the meme that the media is unfairly bashing the Church, Burke said that "even with negative things that are written, it [the Conclave] shows that the Catholic church still very much matters."
Heaven forbid that anybody on Fox mention that the group that represents Catholic abuse victims (SNAP) have put together a list of the "dirty dozen" Cardinals who, they feel, would be terrible candidates for pope, given their past actions and inactions on sexual abuse cases. And saints preserve us; but the amusing Cardinal Dolan, along with Sean O'Malley and Fox fave, Washington DC Cardinal Wuerhl, is one of them! And so far, I don't believe that Fox has mentioned that one of the awesome Cardinals is Cardinal Mahoney "who was stripped of all his public duties after thousands of pages of evidence were released as part of a lawsuit against the church showing he participated in a bold cover up of priest sex abuse in his diocese."
While Burke and MacCallum feel that the conclaved Cardinals are awesome, SNAP claims that only two are "clean" - but you won't hear anything about that on Fox where nowhere is heard a discouraging word about the papacy. Greg Burke is, if not from God, on a mission from the Holy See. It's obvious that his Fox experience has served him well in that his report was "balanced" in one direction only. And ladies, he appears to be single so if you're into a little Catholic kink...;) Obviously, Greg Burke is a fine apologist Senior Communications Specialist for the Vatican!
The Cardinals who persist in ignoring the vox populi will be giving yet another yank to the ropes of the death knell for the Catholic Church.
This guy needs to get better translators or – more likely – he needs to read what they actually give him. The fact that journalists may enjoy a pleasant exchange is not tantamount to endorsement. More the opposite. Poor things, the gag order has given them so little to write about.
The fight is on between the Curia (insiders, conservatives) and the so-called Reformers (wanna-be outsiders, also conservatives). Unfortunately, neither side wants a Kind Pope.
What most Italians would like (IMO) is a modern version of John 23rd, (aka “The Kind Pope” according to Vox Popoli). That hope is indeed reflected by all the media (left, right and centre) through use of the word “pastoral” as a desirable trait. Supposedly meaning someone able to interact with the faithful. Most commentators then go on to crush the very idea of a “people’s Pope” by presenting a list of traits rather more suitable for a cut-throat CEO.
IMO, John Paul II and Benedict 16th will be recognised by future historians as the Popes who rolled back the extraordinarily Christ-like work of the Second Vatican Council called by “Il Papa Buono”.
You can kiss the Catholic church goodbye.
