The editor of the Fishwrap, the paper of record for schismatics and heretics now to be known as the National Schismatic Reporter, responded to the bishop of the place where they are headquartered. His Excellency Most Rev. Robert Finn called the NCR out in a column in which he reiterates what his predecessor said: the National catholic Reporter must not use the term “Catholic”. HERE I wrote on that HERE.
The response from Fishwrap?
Lie a little.
FACT: Finn’s predecessor, Bishop Helmsing, in 1968 determined that the NCR could not use the term “Catholic”. They defied him and continued to use it.
FACT: That was never changed by any of Bp. Helmsing’s successors.
FACT: Bp. Finn has publicly reminded everyone of this FACT.
NCR now says:
Finn seems to imply NCR has had bad relations with its local bishops since 1968. [Non sequitur.] This has not been the case. Helmsing’s successors — Bishop John Sullivan and Bishop Raymond Boland — had cordial relations with NCR. Once, Boland came to our Kansas City, Mo., office and blessed our building as we consulted with him about use of new emerging media technologies. Later, Boland spoke at NCR‘s 40th anniversary ceremony in Washington, D.C.
To which everyone must reply, “So what?”.
If a bishop went to bless the office, that does not give them permission to use the term “Catholic”. The bishop could bless a fishmonger’s shop and all the NCR newpapers in it. That wouldn’t make the place “Bob’s Catholic Fish Market”. A bishop talked about technology with someone from NCR. Ooooo! Therefore Fishwrap can use the term “Catholic”? A bishop spoke at their party. And? In 1975 Paul VI met with Idi Amin Dada.
Now the bishop of the place says “NO!” Again.
Furthermore, the Fishwrap‘s editor claims cover from being a member of the Catholic Press Association.
NCR is proud to call itself a Catholic publication. We report and comment on church matters, including official teachings. We also report and comment on those who call into question some of these official teachings. Meanwhile, we belong to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ sanctioned Catholic Press Association. CPA judges have repeatedly cited us with awards for our coverage of the church.
WOWIE! A CPA membership means they are Catholic!
That’s like trying to use your Blockbuster video rental card to get through a TSA checkpoint at the airport.
Is the Catholic Press Assocation “sanctioned” by the USCCB? Is it?
I don’t find anything like that on the site of the Catholic Press Association. You would think that that would be touted on their site. No? I looked through the history of the CPA on their site. HERE. I found not a mention after I searched “NCCB”, “USCCB”, and only one of “bishops” because they gave an award to some bishops in Florida. They once had a little to do with a three times removed incarnation of the USCCB, the NCWC, but that count’s for nothing. See my remarks about Blockbuster.
Should we accept that because the liberal CPA on a yearly basis gives awards to the liberal Fishwrap they are, therefore, a “Catholic” publication?
Repeat after me… and I invite all bloggers to pick this up…
National Schismatic Reporter.
And now I will go back to reminding myself that young people don’t know or care about who and what Fishwrap is.
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“National Schismatic Reporter” it is. Although, I am tempted to call it “Bob’s Catholic Fish Market” after its former moniker the “fishwrap”
You asked, “Is the Catholic Press Association ”sanctioned” by the USCCB? Is it?”
Well, if by sanctioned you mean the same way that Penn State and Ohio State have been sanctioned by the NCAA, then yes, it should be sanctioned by the USCCB.
Acknowledgement by the “Catholic Press Association” doesn’t lend the NcR any credibility. My local diocesan newspaper, who has for years been an uber-progressive publication and weekly published dissent by the Rev. Richard McBrien, received 22 awards from the CPA in 2012. So what does that tell you? The CPA is a gaggle of progressives patting themselves on the back.
I love how the National Schismatic Reporter found a way to slip the following into their editorial:
[The reason is obvious. As I wrote before, they are trying to make what Bp. Finn did seem like mere vengeance.]
It’s time for the bishops of the United States to unite against these bullies. I hope the USCCB will issue some kind of condemnation of the NcR.
Acknowledgement by the “Catholic Press Association” doesn’t lend the NcR any credibility. My local diocesan newspaper, who has for years been an uber-progressive publication and weekly published dissent by the Rev. Richard McBrien, received 22 awards from the CPA in 2012. So what does that tell you? The CPA is a gaggle of progressives patting themselves on the back.
I love how the National Schismatic Reporter found a way to slip the following into their editorial:
It’s time for the bishops of the United States to unite against these bullies. I hope the USCCB will issue some kind of condemnation of the NcR.
I cannot imagine any self-respecting liberal reading this tripe and still buying this rag.
Ah…Fr. Z., I had a good chuckle while reading this update of yours. I agree with everything you have written as it made me smile since after having paid their site a visit earlier today, I was sad to see such bitterness directed at the Church and her Bishops.
The TRUTH will never be squelched despite the attempts by the bitter few, aging though they are and a dying breed, the sad reality is that eventually they will fade into the realm of the forgotten.
It comes to mind that while we live, we must call upon the name of the Lord and seek him while he can still be found. I do not understand how some can still be spinning their wheels spreading dissent and discord in the Church while there is so much work in the vineyard yet to be done.
The dark cloud loom ahead, who has time for such nonsense?
So much to pray for and for so many…
NcR, I am going to add all of you to the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters prayer list.
It would be good if the Bishops all agreed not to write for it, appear at conferences it organizes, or do anything that appears to support it. Now we see how kind gestures can be misused.
But I take hope from Fr Z’s last point. Young people don’t know what it is. I (I’m not a young people) haven’t seed a copy of it in a Catholic church for 20 years.
“Fishwrap” is so tainted that it’s fit neither for wrapping fish, nor for lining a litter box.
If Bishop Finn can’t get them to quit calling themselves “Catholic,” I would really like it if he or the USCCB could sue them out of existence for libel. The New Evangelization should include getting rid of organizations that claim to be Catholic while intentionally harming the Church, the Faithful, and non-Catholics who are exposed to their crud.
seen, not seed, please
“NCR is proud to call itself a Catholic publication”. And I’m proud to call myself the Tsar of all the Russias.
What an apt name for the NcR.
Of course the Fishwrap had a “cordial” relationship with previous bishops. If one knows anything about the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph, they would know that it was once the “model” for the futurechurch without narry a priest in site. Bishop Boland about ran that diocese into the ground with the kind of “leadership” that Fishwrap and their ilk approved of. Basically, he is of “that generation” and this fact is no point in favor of their position. They could have just as well said that Bishop Gumbleton or Bishop de Roo or pulling out the big guns, Cardinal Mahoney, were buddies of theirs.
A positive way to combat this is to make a list of anyone you know who reads the paper and give a gift subscription to an orthodox publication such as Our Sunday Visitor.
“The response from Fishwrap?
Lie a little.”
And remind me again, who is the Father of Lies?
“NCR is proud to call itself a Catholic publication”. And I’m proud to call myself the Tsar of all the Russias.”
From the Geek File: the Tasr of all of the Russia’s is a quote from Ensign Chekov from the Star Trek Original Series episode, Who Mourns for Adonis:
“Star Trek: Who Mourns for Adonais? (#2.2)” (1967)
Apollo: I am Apollo!
Ensign Pavel Chekov: [sarcastically] And I am the Czar of all the Russias!
Capt. Kirk: Mister Chekov!
Ensign Pavel Chekov: I sorry, Captain. I never met a god before.
Capt. Kirk: And you haven’t yet
I cannot imagine any self-respecting liberal reading this tripe and still buying this rag.
self-respecting liberal Oxymoronic.
I do like the name “National Schismatic Reporter.”
But I also like the name, National Stinky Schismatic Reporter or National Schismatic Reporter and all its fishiness.
Fishwrap: “Did the bishops really say that we are not allowed to use the term ‘Catholic’? That’s not true. We are after all still using it. The bishops said what they did because they know that when we use the term, we are outside the boundaries, knowing what Catholic Church policies are right or wrong!”
But seriously, if this tells us anything it’s that we must now look to place the ‘Catholic Press Association’ before an ‘official inquiry,’ if you know what I mean? Better move to revoke their name too.
The Masked Chicken – I’m glad you got the reference.
Here ya’ go pmullane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyE4CLM0QIA
MSM
Hey Teresa,
How about National Fischismatic Reporter?
(think stinky dead fish with its head cut off!)
Ewww. Did I say that? (in my best Steve Urkel voice)
MSM
Fr. Z,
Hold off on taking the CPA down with NCR. They haven’t weighed in on this yet, and NCR is at present just appropriating the cover of their name. Now that the bishop has made the first move, given a little agitation in the waters by members of the association, things can happen. There are many, many good publications in the CPA that will want to defend their good name against this slander of association.
What is a “Blockbuster video rental card?”
Dear colospgs:
Once upon a time there was a large chain of retail stores known as “Blockbuster” (from the adjective applied to films) where one could go to the neighborhood shopping mall and rent movies on VHS tape and later on DVD disc. A client registered with the store and was issued a “Blockbuster video rental card” with a bar code which could then be scanned to keep track of the account. A sort of id and membership card.
Most of the retail stores are gone now, as the business model suffered from continuous development in video technology (leaving VHS, and somewhat DVD disc in the dust), and also the NetFlix and streaming models ate into a lot of their market share. Of course, the stores would need to buy large quantities of “new release” movies on DVD, and, sadly, just shredded them one the newness wore off. Many difficulties with their business model.
My beloved husband, now nearing 60, periodically tries to scan his Kroger plus card to enter the community center gym. Turns out even scanners just say no to incorrect input.
Fishwrap: that dog don’t hunt.
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Out of curiosity, if the local bishops have been forbidding them to call themselves “Catholic” for the past mumble-mumble years, can the advertisers sue the publishers for fraud? I mean, presumably the advertisers chose that venue to reach a Catholic audience, based upon the name “National Catholic Reporter”. If the local bishop (who is the only person with the legal authority to determine “brand affiliation”) informed them years ago that they did not meet the qualificati0ns to call themselves “Catholic”, yet they still took money from businesses without informing the businesses of this fact…
Blast. Where’s a shark when you really need one…?