On blogging

Fr Tim Blogmeister suggests attending to the following points.

1 a polite explanation of why the Tablet should not be sold in our Cathedrals or parish Churches (with examples and quotations)
2 an account of the work done by Catholic blogs in supporting Pope Benedict (with links)
3 a list of the ways that Catholic blogs have helped ordinary Catholics to grow in their faith (with links or personal testimonies)

1 The Tablet dissents from Catholic teaching. It is wrong and dangerous to sell it in Catholic Churches. That a Catholic publication could attack a Parish Priest and his Parish is unbelievable. What effect must that have had on other Priests in the country attempting to introduce the Extraordinary Form of the Mass? The Tablet was unhappy that Fr Tim sought to defend himself by fisking the article. The real surprise is that they did not predict the on-line reaction.

2 This blog deliberately has lots of pics of the Holy Father, smiling etc to counter the very nasty reporting found elsewhere. Also, blogs helped to publicise that petition started, I believe, in France to support the Holy Father after the lifting of the SSPX excommunications. (no links too time consuming with one finger. ) The internet also gives quick access to all Papal documents and to Vatican Youtube. I want to know what he has actually said not an interpretation of it from someone who wants to attack him. I got the info about how to complain to the PCC about that cartoon in The Times from another blog. The MSM does not tell me what I want to know.

3 Reading blogs has explained to me what has happened in the Church during my life time. It has explained that my reactions to what I saw and heard during 14 years as a pupil and 12 as a teacher in Catholic Schools were not wrong. It has put me in touch with like minded people and given me the opportunity to attend various things. For example, I am going on the Chant Summer School in Solesmes in July with someone who recognised my picture on a blog after the High Mass in Westminster last Summer. My blog does not engage in attacks on people or publications and I ruthlessly self censure so that for the most part I only focus on where positive things are happening. I do not publish comments that are nasty or crazy.

I am just one very ordinary, very mediocre Catholic. There are loads of brilliant people out there doing stuff and blogging gives the opportunity for us to see them. Look at all the pics people have on their blogs of ordinary people. I am very very grateful to Priestly bloggers and am sure that their blogging is not to the detriment of their other duties. Archbishop Fulton Sheen seemed to do a great deal of broadcasting. The Pope wrote Jesus of Nazareth after his election. How can a little blogging be anything but good?