an injustice averted
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Aug 04, 2010
Thank God for videotape.
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The Thomas More Society, which had provided legal defense of Joseph Holland after the pro-life activist was arrested on a spurious charge of blocking access to an abortion clinic, has announced that all charges have been dropped.
Pressing charges against Holland became politically and legally impossible after the widespread circulation of a videotape that showed exactly what had happened. Thanks to the major media outlets of Chicago for bringing the truth to light.
Oh, wait. Major media outlets ignored the evidence. The videotape was circulated over the internet. Another useful little lesson of how the new electronic media empower the people.
[H/T Jill Stanek]
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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Posted by: MatJohn -
Nov. 03, 2017 8:12 PM ET USA
Why leave the Church and blend into the life of a nonentity when you can flaunt the Faith and enjoy the attention of a fawning media?
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Posted by: Retired01 -
Nov. 01, 2017 3:19 PM ET USA
Why don't Catholic bishops clear the air? If Catholic bishops look-up to the current bishop of Rome, there is no way they are going to clear the air. Rather, they will increasingly pollute the air. Moreover, they will increase their chances of receiving a red hat and becoming the darlings of the media.
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Posted by: Gil125 -
Nov. 01, 2017 1:43 PM ET USA
Surely, Phil, you of all people understand. Their handling of priests who abused little boys makes it perfectly clear that many or most of them believe that a bishop’s primary responsibility is to avoid negative publicity.
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Posted by: Montserrat -
Nov. 01, 2017 8:51 AM ET USA
This column is always marked by clear, sober and prophetic thinking, 'prophetic' in the biblical sense of the word - calling souls to wake up while there is still time. The time has long passed for bishops to excommunicate profligate and recalcitrant "Catholics" in public life who defy the true teachings of our holy mother Church. Unless something radically unexpected happens, the price for this episcopal temerity will be schism. The writing is on the wall for all to see.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Nov. 01, 2017 7:29 AM ET USA
Does it take more than maybe two hands to count the number of U.S. bishops whose first concern is not negative publicity? Perhaps the others are among the ones that the Pope is urging to smell like sheep, to get dirty, to eschew the trappings of the secular success track. Of course, it's difficult to know, given his penchant for slinging zingers in the direction of orthodox Catholics. One thing is certain, and demonstrated in the U.S.: if you stand against the PC culture you will be persecuted.
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Posted by: ElizabethD -
Oct. 31, 2017 11:08 PM ET USA
What does it mean to publicly excommunicate someone open about disbelief in, taking offense at and preferring to avoid attending Catholic Mass, who lists her diocese as "Womenchurch" when filling out forms? Giving a pro-abortion talk, she said "this is my eucharist today." She may be reacting to the intended medicine of excommunication by a tantrum-like "spirituality," polemics and lifestyle of rejection of the Eucharist. Like a bride rejecting the best Spouse, a mother aborting the holy Infant.
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Posted by: Defender -
Aug. 04, 2010 7:17 PM ET USA
You expected any less? It would have been worth airing on network TV only if it had been the other way.
