Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Why the Media, and The Catholic Left and Right Missed Benedict's Huge Issue

I just watched the Pope's Vespers and speech to the American Bishops. It was incredible and there is a lot there. I will try to get that later if I have time.

It is amusing but the media and the Catholic political left and the Catholic political right missed the boat on the Pope's major Social Justice issues. They really should not have because the clues have been there.

The media storyline as to Pope/Bush has been Iraq , Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Catholic blogs that engage the political square have not much better. More "progressive blogs" have had Iraq on the brain for years and were convinced that Bush was going to get a tongue lashing. Several media outlets said they were "Surprised" that the Pope mentioned that he would he be talking immigration to Bush. Immigration matters were also a big part of the Pope Vespers talks tonight.

As to the media this is partly because they still see ethnic and racial matters in the outmoded terms of Black and White. If you don't believe watch the news. Did the Imus situation really deserve all that coverage last year for instance? Issues affecting Hispanics, if it is not immigration related ,do not get mentioned on the MSM. You even see that as to foreign coverage. Europe gets more covered anything mostly issues south of the border do not. In the media , American Asians do not exist to say the least. Asians are some of the most vibrant parts of American Catholicism and yet I bet you have not seen one story as to them and the Papal visit. Also the immigration issue affects them as to family reunification.

Going to back to the Catholic Internet for a second. I am pretty much convinced that Catholic bloggers what ever their political beliefs are in the same cultural , economic and ethnic demographic. I have noted this recently even as to more "progressive" Catholic blogs because it seems it is Iraq and bad ole Bush 24/7. They are stuck in a stor y line that reflects their demographic. Political conservative Catholics also have their own storyline. That is both see certain issues more than others

When I mention to more Liberal and progressive" Catholic bloggers that perhaps McCain should get some major kudos for sticking up for immigration reform and perhaps that should score him some points I am met with stony silence. It is like it has not occurred to them. It is not on their RADAR because largely they are not affected by it. They have forgotten it was a hot issue just a year ago.

Therefore I think we must be pretty much all Anglos or Anglo oriented. To put it bluntly much of the Catholic media and much of the Catholic blog sphere regardless of politics and theology is a bunch of American white Catholic folks talking to each other. That perhaps shows a major weakness as to the Catholic blog sphere we should be thinking about. That perhaps what the Catholic media and the Catholic Blogs talks about in the American Catholic Church is not the full picture.

None of this should have come as a surprise The clues were all there. When The City of Houston was elevated to such a significance that it got Cardinal this year that means major things!!! Rome does not just create new "Cardinal cities" at a whim. It means that Cardinal Dinardo of Houston , that no one is talking about in the media, is going to have increasing influence in the Church. I predict this very good newly minted Cardinal will be the leading voice for some time in the American Church and to the Vatican for the concerns that are particular to Hispanic, Latin , and to some extent Asian Catholics. Just go to Houston. It is truly not just an oil town of the 1980's but a gateway to the World in commerce. Cardianal Dinardo that is regarded as a very holy man also has another advantage as to these issues. He is does not carry the horrible PR baggage that Cardinal Mahony of LA does. In fact every time Cardinal Mahony talked on this issue it just came out bad.

His "heading" up the issue was used against Catholic propoents of immigration reform that were on the left and the right(yes many of us existed) So look for Cardinal Dinardo's influence to become much bigger the next few years and to be the head guy and Catholic spokesman in the USA

It recognizes that Rome has seen that there is a Geographical shift as to power and influence in the American Church. A change that is not only the result of migration to the United States but migration within the United States to the South and Southwest. In other words the power of the Northeast is declining while new powers of influence in the US are arising. The problem is the media operates in the Traditional old historic Catholic power bases of the Church. They therefore missed the boat. But I highly suspect the media in Houston and elsewhere did not.

What this means for American Catholics is that we have a responsibility to this Country , and to our Church to stop the name calling and try to have a meeting of the minds on the many facets of the immigration issue. This includes illegal and legal and all the problems assorted with it.

Offenders were all on political sides of the issue and no one hands are clean. I really don't think we represented ourselves well on it the past two years. I even got wrapped up in my position and thinking the worse of people that disagreed with me because the immigration issue was so nasty. If you were involved in it and got hurt or called names, or had your integrity questioned after a while you fought back and did the same. None of that was productive

I think this is a major part of the Holy Fathers message to all of us. It is not the only one but it is there.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just want to let you know my background on the illegal immigration issue.

My parents bought a house in a suburb of Dallas in 1978, and raised the three of us kids in that house. We were homeschooled, as were the kids next door and the kids one street over. Every kid in the neighborhood played sports together every day after school and during the summer. It was a safe neighborhood.

In the mid 90s, we began to notice an influx of new neighbors from south of the border. They moved into the apartment complex at the end of the street. The safety of the neighborhood quickly declined.

These new neighbors walked down the street and whistled at all of the girls as they passed. Crime became rampant in the neighborhood. The police received numerous 911 calls each week due to late night gunfire. Neighborhood watch meetings were assembled, and police officers addressed the complaints of the citizens. The police just kept saying "don't move away, or they'll win. We can't do anything because they're illegal immigrants but we can't arrest them for it. Just don't leave the neighborhood."

Crime became worse with cases of these neighbors exposing themselves to children and moms playing in the yard. Some even ventured into the houses while the moms and kids were home!

Eventually everyone in our neighborhood moved out. The police were unable to arrest the illegals, only respond to calls. We moved out in the summer of 1999, as did our neighbors of 21 years.

A few years ago, I lived in a suburb of Houston. I was cussed out in spanish by a man who thought I should speak his language, not English, the language of our country.

According to the Catechism, immigrants have a responsibility to their host country to be gracious, thankful, and respectful for the compassion and gifts that country has bestowed on them. In my experience living in a border state and living around illegal immigrants, I have seen no love for the USA its people.

So I know exactly how illegal immigrants can ruin a society.

James H said...

I do see your point and I know such situations exists. There are indeed people here that are not appreciative and really in the long run have no long term interstin thsi country. I ahve encountered those too.

To be clear I am very much against illegal immigration. I want the border secured, though I often differ on some aspects of how to do that with others.

I want real fines on employers and I want some kind of system to keep track of people on visas. That is where much of the problem lies.

I have met those that I highly suspect are illegal. In this very Diocese. The Church Secretary remarked to me that everyday she has lazy Americans come ask her for handouts. However this largely hispanic grou of people that we provide a mass for, with people of different mixed legal status for sure, never ask her for money or a handout and just want the Sacraments. She also tell mes that we could fill several more English classes if we found the people to teach it.

So there is the bad and the good.

My prime concern as to the illegal alien issue is families. I do think a balance must be struck. For a pure selfish reason if the milions and millons of familes are broken up there will be consequences. I ahve concerns about "illegals" that have been here since a very young age and much more American than Mexican. Somehow some common sense has to come in here.

Know matter what proposal comes down the line millions will be deported. I accept that and think that is important. There are million that don't deserve to be here. However there are tough questiosn and matters of justice and mercy that are involved.

Th sissue is complex I know. there are important Laboir issues on bott sides to consider. There is important conserns about security and the aspect of circular work migration

THe main concern I ahve is the longer a a prosed path to deal with problem various problems will get worse

There si a workable soultion but everyone I think is going have to give some.

I ne4ed to another big immigration post and flesh out my ideas more so they are more clear

Anonymous said...

I think a huge part of the problem in the parishes is the idea that we need to have English Masses and Spanish Masses, English ministries and Spanish ministries.

This is enormously damaging to the Catholic Church because it creates two parishes within one. Even the English speaking Mexicans continue to go to the Spanish Mass and ministries because it is in Spanish and part of their "culture". It is Catholic segregation.

At my home parish, my youth minister always invited the Spanish youth ministry to join us in various events. They never would. There were no hispanics at the English Masses, ever. They always went to the Spanish Masses to the point that we had TWO Spanish Masses on Sunday in addition to the nine English Masses.

Spanish ministry creates a division. This is America. This is the Catholic Church in America. We need to reach out to the immigrant people, but they need to join our American culture and worship with us.