How to make a complete fool of yourself in print

It's simple.

Step 1: Be interviewed by NPR.

Step 2: Say something along these lines:

At Georgetown University, a Jesuit institution in Washington, D.C., junior Maria Malvar says she used to be involved in church. She thought Pope John Paul was a rock star, but she dislikes Benedict's strict theology.

"I believe Pope John Paul II did a lot to bring youth back to church," Malvar says. With Pope Benedict, she says she feels "a regression."

The observation draws a nod from her friend, Billy Dumay. "I feel he'll do the Catholic guilt trip," Dumay says, laughing.

Dumay sees faith as personal worship, not a set of rules. And he's not thrilled with Benedict's battle against secular culture. "Ending secularism to him means actually going to church, going through formal motions, and if you don't do that you're not a good Catholic," Dumay says.

Georgetown must be so proud! Wait, there's more!

Other students at Georgetown disapprove of the pope's stances on such issues as birth control, women's ordination and outreach to other faiths. Then there's the sex-abuse scandal. At least two bishops asked Benedict to meet with victims and to visit Boston, where the scandal broke.

He declined, which disappoints graduate student Lindsay Pettingill.

"Perhaps by ignoring the issue, he's setting a bad precedent," Pettingill says.

Ah, it's great to see these youngsters tossing out opinions like free hot dogs at a ball game. Speaking of free, you can read the CWR article, "A Shrewd Move," by Philip F. Lawler, and find out why Benedict isn't going to Boston. And, speaking of Georgetown, be sure to read, "The Papal Trip," penned by a GU professor, Fr. James V. Schall, S.J., who knows a thing or two about theology, doctrine, and Pope Benedict. Here's hoping that some of the students quoted above find out about Schall's classes before they leave the campus.

Comments

[Nick Milne]

They dislike his strict theology! The poor dears. I'd imagine they haven't read a word he's written and/or said, whether as a cardinal or as a pope, and could not be moved to do so even by the first cause. All they likely "know" about him is that the mainstream media isn't fawning over him, and that probably means he's bad.

What a pointless interview; the journalistic equivalent of public art designed by third-graders.

[Augustine II]

All media clones and faithful subjects of the dictatorship of relativism. No doubt, all also claim to be model individuals. Herds of "individuals," branded with tattoos, running wild everywhere. Lord have mercy!

[Ed Peters]

When I listen to NPR, I feel a regression, too. It tends to be my lunch coming back on me.

[Ed Peters]

You know, really, it's too bad that when Maria Malvar had her 15 minutes of fame, she totally wasted it recycling drivel for the press.

[rd]

"rock star" vs. "strict theology"? what kind of catechesis did ms. malvar receive? apparently none whatsoever.

incidentally, the dalai lama spoke before a crowd of university students in seattle today. i wonder how many of them actually know anything about tibetan buddhism. mr. dumay would probably prefer him over benedict, because the dalai lama doesn't like to do the "guilt trip." and as long as he's on stage like a rock star, that's all that counts, eh?

[Margaret]

Can some statistically-inclined individual do an analysis of Benedict's published statements and writings since his election? It would be lovely to just put to rest, once and for all, the fallacy of the Church's "obsession with pelvic issues," when really it is the obsession of a subset of our culture. The man spends huge amounts of time catechizing the faithful on the apostles and early church fathers, writes an accessible-yet-scholarly work on Jesus plus two beautiful, spiritually-rich encyclicals, and on and on... Yet somehow it's all about sex and him being a Rotweiller? Can someone please back that up with statistical evidence? I don't think so.

[Rich Leonardi]

In the event anyone is ever tempted to spend $40,000 a year on a Jesuit education, they might keep a copy of this story on their hard drive.

[Richard]

It may be safe to say the Holy Father has more fans across town here at Catholic University.

I'm sure NPR lapped this stuff up with a spoon. A big spoon.

[RJ Chavez]

Ah, groin issues. The Devil has truly hit the motherlode with this generation by injecting groin issues into the foremost psyche of this generation. Toss in a little hopelessness and disbelief in the power of grace, and you get...Georgetown!

[Dan]

The telling thing is that the "critics" never engage what Pope Benedict is actually saying and writing. Never. It would be fascinating to hear what they would say if they did. I strongly suspect they are completely ignorant of what his actual thinking is.

On a somewhat separate subject, I note that it is people who repeat the cliche about "Catholic guilt" who are most out of touch with the Church. A central problem of the modern Church, and of modernity in general, is the absence of any feeling of guilt.

[Dan]

Margaret, I can semi-answer your question. By coincidence I received to a mass e-mail from Maggie Gallagher in which she reports:

"A new analysis entitled "Pope Benedict XVI on Marriage: A Compendium" and published by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy on the eve of Benedict's historic U.S. visit, finds that in less than three years of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has spoken publicly about marriage on 111 occasions, connecting marriage to such overarching themes as human rights, world peace, and the conversation between faith and reason."

[Margaret]

Yeah, but Dan, I'm trying to get the whole picture here. Listening to some of the ranting commenters on some of the liberal sites, you'd think the Pope did nothing all day, every day, except consign gays to hell and condemn abortion and contraception. I want to cyber-smack some of these idiots, or better yet, tie them in front of their monitors and force them to just READ from the Vatican website for several hours straight.

[IN DC]

As an alum, it's getting increasingly difficult to grant much charity towards Georgetown. My studies there actually brought me back into the Church, but my studies included the reading of some works by then Cardinal Ratzinger.

The student newspaper today also has a this condescending editorial trying to make the best out of the fact that His Holiness is not visiting the nation's oldest Catholic university: http://www.thehoya.com/node/15882