Does Secular News Media Owe The Vatican Newspaper More Respect?

L’Osservatore Romano is in the news again. This time the editor is defending the paper in full court Press interview with noted Vatican reporter John Allen. See Thoughts from Rome: the Vatican newspaper, religious life

It is a good interview plus gives some cool history too boot.

I have been a critic of the paper at times but not it's harshest critic. I do think perhaps it does get a bum rap at times.

As I have noted much of that is not the paper's fault. It is the fault of a press that wants misleading sensational headlines over truth. Plus throw in all the other social media to boot and well we have a problem.

The problem is that American journalist are not very sophisticated about the Vatican's newspaper. Not everything in the paper to say the least is approved by the Pope or is official Catholic Doctrine. Yet we see headlines such as VATICAN SAYS SIMPSONS ARE CATHOLIC.

Now there that saying there is not much to criticize at times. I think their reporting on U.S. political affairs suffers at times from the typical European press deficiencies.

However it is a newspaper and it is one I hope will get wider publication.

The interview focuses of course on the publications of the Pope's comments on condoms. As a side issue I recently said one major sideline saga as to that was if the paper had violated the embargo on those remarks. I think that is what got under quite a few Catholics skin because they respected it and were upset they could not break it first.

I think he clarifies the situation and I no longer see any fault as to that.

However what about the future. I don't know if it would make a darn bit of difference but I think the editor needs to come to the USA and meet with reporters. Give them an understanding of what the paper is and what it is not. Try to educate them.

I actually think the people at L’Osservatore Romano need to challenge the major reporters in the secular news business on their professionalism. The newspaper is a serious work that have serious people working for it.

Is there not any sort of journalistic fraternalism that should be at play here. That is treat the newspapers pieces as a serious matters instead of giving us headlines POPE SAYS SIMPSONS ARE CATHOLIC! VATICAN LOVES THE BEATLES etc etc.