Catholic Watchdogs Get Barked At By the Church

There are few things that make more interesting news than scandal—especially when it takes place within the world’s largest international institution—the Catholic Church. The sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church has been on the media’s radar on and off for the past few years. Most recently, the current pope, Benedict XVI, has been accused of failing to report sexual abuse while he served as an archbishop and as a cardinal.

The Catholic Church has rebuked the media which have brought to light the injustices allegedly committed by clergy. The Church claims that the condemning media reports are part of a conspiracy which aims to defame the Pope and his aides. The most severe renunciation of the media reports is that they are “‘prompted by the Devil.’”
But it is not a popular secular news organization which has burned the Church the most. According to a story by NPR’s David Folkenflik, a low circulation, non-profit newspaper—the National Catholic Reporter— has been most consistent and critical in its coverage of the scandal.

The Reporter is a unique publication because although it is dedicated solely to reporting stories relevant to and about members of the Catholic Church, it is produced by independent Catholic journalists rather than an agency of the Church. This is a good thing for readers, because it means the journalists do not have to protect the reputations of the Pope and other important figures within the Church. Readers of the Reporter get stories from the perspective of others who share their belief system, who combine “faith with a desire to seek and report the truth — including things that reflected critically on the church.”

The Reporter’s critical view of the Church was especially evident in a recent editorial. The editorial content makes the Pope seem partly culpable for the continuation of the sex abuse scandal, if he did indeed know about and fail to report cases of abuse in the parishes he served.

According to the NCR’s editor Tom Fox, the question of what the Pope knew and how he chose to act “‘are questions Catholics around the world are asking.’” The Reporter thus acted to present a story of interest to its constituency, which is an important role of news media.

The right to Freedom of the Press gives the producers of the National Catholic Reporter the right to question the Pope’s credibility. Yet Church authorities have berated the assemblers of the Reporter for apparently betraying their loyalty to the Catholic Church.

Those who desire truth are not afraid to say when something is wrong. One of the major functions of news media is to serve as a “watchdog” for society; journalists have the responsibility to inform the public of misconduct of individuals or institutions which are relevant to society.

The Reporter staff members showed their commitment to seeking ultimate truth, even though they faced disapproval and resentment on the part of Church authorities. As both journalists and people of faith, they remained true to the aim of their religious tradition and their duty as journalists by questioning the Pope’s credibility. --MDW