AmericanPapist Comments
I second the nomination for Stephen Gredanus. Read his review for Brokeback Mountain which gives a fair and honest nod to the artistry of the film makers, but ultimately gives the lowest possible rating to the movie du to it's moral and spiritual defects. That's a USCCB rating I could live with.
How about Nathaniel Peters of First Things?
Who is actually in charge of the Office for Film and Broadcasting? Who do they answer to? And how do we get in touch?
otoh, it's never too late to do the right thing. otoh, when the right thing is so often undoing the wrong thing, something needs to give.
how many forbes et al reviews will the bishops need to retract before they figure out what a disservice his work is to them...and us.
The Office for Film & Broadcasting is yet another useless part of the useless USCCB bureaucracy. It should be reformed, or eliminated altogether.
As for your comment on effectiveness of the blogosphere or of critics in general, concerning the last encyclical Spe salvi there has been an emotion with the first published french translation, which began with : we are all saved by hope... with thus an "all" which comes from absolutely nowhere ! except an ideologically biased mind.
Two days after a not-only-blogical-storm the translation published on the Vatican site was corrected, that is, the "all" suppressed (but not on the french bishop conference's site, of course...).
It will be very interesting to see how blogs play out over the next 30 years. Will we have bishops who are daily blog readers themselves? Bishops who blog their daily activities (much more so than the few we have today)?
Glad the did it, but too little too late, I'd say. Unless they publish a public retraction with the reasons for it, or at the very least a better review, the damage has been and will continue to be done. I for one had the 'pleasure' of reading that review in my diocesan Catholic paper. How many parents read that and said, "OK, let's take the kiddies to go see that one! A polar bear? How charming!"?
peace
Thomas,
The other should drop.
The USCCB is the only entity out there that gave a good review of the film.
As far as Harry & John are concerned, a performance evaluation is in order up to and possbily including termination.
Luke 17:2
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin."
Yes, they should be allowed to repent; and if they do, it needs to be done publicly by an announcement on the USCCB site in order for them to keep their jobs. Then they need to go through an intensive and long catechesis program by a good priest.
Enough is enough.
I do agree that the Catholic blogosphere has played a pivotal role in all of this. We should continue to be charitable in our rebukes on others and inform the faithful of all that is good about our faith.
I understand that the person to contact is Helen Osman, Secretary of Communications.
(202) 541-3200
hosman@usccb.org
commdept@usccb.org
What will New Line do with their advertising now?
Can I demand an explanation from LifeSite for its faulty judgments on Harry Potter and disgraceful represention of the Pope's, claiming he held a position on the series?
Good coverage, Thomas - thanks.
I can't help but wonder how many of those newspapers and online resources who jumped so quick to tell people the bishops supported the movie, will now tell them the review has been withdrawn.
I can't help but think that the review was pulled only because other reviewers had uniformly panned the movie, with the result that the only positive review hanging out there would have been the USCCB's review. Rich irony indeed, and a sad example of the "Stockholm syndrome"-if you are targeted and bullied enough, you start to identify with the bully so as to gain acceptance. I suspect (and have read somewhere) that Catholic media journalists have a tough time dealing with this particular temptation. Recall what happened after the Pope's speech at Regensberg?
Forget sending it through the USCCB in Washington. I would send it directly to Cardinal George's office in Chicago. Lifesite has an email address.
Yes, I've updated the post, but Blogger is being disagreeable once again.
Here's another vote for Steven Greydanus. Maybe we should start a hire Steven petition.
Actually, I am more-than-confident that making a public fuss or petition or the like for the USCCB to hire [Any Person X] is just about an infallible way to ensure [Any Person X] will not be hired.
Can I demand an explanation from LifeSite for its faulty judgments on Harry Potter and disgraceful represention of the Pope's, claiming he held a position on the series?
Sure you can, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with The Golden Compass and the USCCB's movie review debacle. If LifeSite is your bete noir, you ought to take it up with them rather than posting comments about their not-quite-helpful reporting on the letter Pope Benedict sent about Harry Potter.
I really hope they fire that guy. He deserves the door. The USCCB needs to get him out of there so he won't be doing any more damage. What he does is a big thing and misleads so many people, and with this movie children! Shame on USCCB...I hope they fix this the right way so it does NOT happen again.
In response to this controversy, four Catholic bloggers have created a blog called "Catholic Media Review". http://catholicmediareview.blogspot.com/
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