The Executive Producer of the ABC's Breakfast News program channels the New York Times

The frenzy of the world's media reporting on the New York Times article aimed at implicating the Pope in protection and cover-up of child sexual abuse cases continues unabated. The ABC's Breakfast News this morning hammered away at it, blithely and blissfully ignoring the cogent and detailed objections to the bad, erroneous and politically motivated misreporting of the NYT. The program's male anchor, Joe O'Brien, did his best to kick along anti-Catholic can, mindlessly repeating the usual stuff about the Pope evading the issue and turning a deaf ear to the victims of clerical abuse. When was the Pope going to front up and apologise? Throughout the program the news banner flowing across the screen kept on repeating:

Pope's Easter sermon fails to mention the sexual abuse issue

It would not occur to the Executive Producer of Breakfast News that the Easter sermon was not the place or occasion to speak about clerical sexual abuse? Of course, it would. To point out the obvious in this case is to spoil the anti-Catholic propaganda exercise. The picture of the Pope evading responsibility for the sake of the Church's standing, and thus the message that the Church has lost moral authority, must be continually pushed forward. A second banner that continually flowed across the screen was:

Archbishop Williams: The Catholic Church has lost moral authority in the UK

Other news reports have said that Williams, Primate of the Church of England, made the comment about the Church in Ireland. No problem for the EP to extend the quotation to the whole of the UK. That is, of course, what Williams should have said, isn't it?

For anybody who watches the ABC's Breakfast News program, the conclusion must be that the Executive Producer and his team share the New York Times' views and feelings about the Catholic Church, and that their task is to promote them. I am embarrassed for Joe O'Brien that he so often takes the unreflective PC view of political issues, letting himself be overshadowed by Virginia Trioli who at least makes an effort to be balanced.

The Pope apologise? The Pope and many of the bishops have bent over backwards apologising! It is all on the record. The truth is that nothing the Pope or the Church says or does will ever appease its enemies.

I have now set up a page listing commentaries and articles defending the Pope against the NYT's attack and showing how incompetent and questionable their journalism is and how driven they are by political motives. I particularly refer the reader to the excellent commentary Scoundrel Time(s) by George Weigel who summarises the points I have been making all along about the media's handling of clerical abuse.

It is high time that close attention be given to the role of lawyers in arguing for compensation, a point that Weigel raises and I have referred to in previous comments. The expression 'they would say that, wouldn't they?' comes continually to mind when lawyers appear in the media on behalf of their clients - and touting for business. Church money is so easy, isn't it?

Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com