✣ Pope criticises Christians leading a double life
What happened?
In a homily at morning Mass last week Pope Francis criticised Catholics who lead a double life. “There are those who say ‘I’m very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this association or another; but my life is not Christian. I don’t pay a fair amount to my employees, I exploit people, I’m involved in dirty business dealings, I launder money.’ ” Such people scandalise others, he said. “How many times have we heard … ‘but to be a Catholic like that, better to be an atheist’.”
What the media said
Reuters, the Independent and the Daily Telegraph had almost identical headlines to the Guardian’s: “Pope Francis: better to be an atheist than a hypocritical Catholic.” The Huffington Post said Francis “even suggested that atheists might be better than members of the faithful who don’t practise the tenets of their faith”. All of them quoted the Pope accurately further down in their stories, but couldn’t resist going for the attention-grabbing but arguably inaccurate headline.
Associated Press cited Francis, when just two months into his papacy, saying that Christians should see atheists as good people if they do good. Its report, published by several newspapers, said: “Since his election in 2013, Francis has often told Catholics, both priests and lay people, to practise what their religion preaches.”
What the Catholic media said
Even some of the Catholic press went for the misleading headline. Crux had “Pope says better an atheist than a Catholic living a double life”.
ChurchPop.com sought to set the record straight. “No, Pope Francis did not say it’s better to be an atheist than a bad Catholic,” it wrote, adding: “Don’t believe the headlines!”
The site quoted what the Pope said, stressing: “This is something other people say when confronted with hypocritical Catholics.” It said: “In Catholic theology, ‘scandal’ is any sin that hurts another person spiritually. The Pontiff is saying that when Catholics are hypocrites, it causes scandal, and makes people think they shouldn’t be Catholic (which is bad for them spiritually).”
The report concluded: “Don’t be a hypocrite! Live your faith!”
The most overlooked story of the week
✣ Bishops ask for world’s help to stop famine
What happened?
The Catholic Bishops of South Sudan have issued an appeal for “immediate and unconditional concrete intervention” by the international community to avert a potential famine in their country.
The bishops say that five million South Sudanese are heading for a food crisis within a month unless urgent action is taken.
Why was it under-reported?
Sadly the world has grown used to seeing images of starving and emaciated families in Africa. Headlines about the threat of a famine cannot compete with the latest outrageous comment from the new president of the United States. Furthermore, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan has been deteriorating since civil war broke out three years ago.
The English and Welsh bishops have added their voice to the call for action. Last week, Auxiliary Bishop William Kenney of Birmingham urged the world to “wake up” to the crisis.
What will happen next?
The EU has promised £70 million in aid while Britain is making £100 million available to South Sudan this year. Although the bishops of South Sudan said the shortage of food had been aggravated by poor rains, they also said: “There is no doubt that this famine is man-made, due to insecurity and poor economic management.” Fergus Conmee, Cafod’s head of Africa, said: “To stop this disaster, the belligerents have to listen to the bishops and come together to find a peaceful way of rebuilding a shattered country.”
✣The week ahead
Archbishop Bernard Longley will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement tomorrow. The movement began at Duquesne University in the US in 1967. The celebration will take place in Bethel convention centre in Birmingham. Mass will be celebrated and speakers include pastor Mike Pilavachi and Michelle Moran.
A Franciscan Scripture scholar has been chosen to lead the annual Lenten retreat for Pope Francis and curial officials (right) in Ariccia, outside Rome. Fr Giulio Michelini will lead meditations on Matthew’s account of the Passion and Resurrection.
Ghana will mark its 60th birthday on Monday. The country’s bishops have announced a national Eucharistic congress in August. They have called on Ghanaians to continue to make the nation the “Star of Africa”, adding: “God has been good to us in these six decades. Let us continue to thank God for our heritage and ask for his forgiveness where we have failed.”
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