As I have said before, there are many people who choose not to watch the news because it is full of negativity. I myself watch the news less than I used to because of the negativity along with seeing a bias in the news that is being reporting. I still try to stay informed of what is going on in the world but it is not easy.
I would like to think that the news agencies aren’t deliberately being negative. Rather, they are simply looking for eye-catching headlines that gets people’s attention. If you look at the news on the internet, which headline would you be more likely to click on, “Police help at soup kitchen” or “Police kill wrong person in a raid”? (The same may be asked about “gossip”.)
Of course, we can also look at how they portray a story. We all have our own way of looking at things but we need to be careful how our personal “bias” influences what we look at. For instance, I am very much pro-life. That does not mean that I should “cancel” out everything said by anyone who is not pro-life. We must listen for valid points they might say on other issues. I might agree with one person on pro-life issues while taking a very different position than the same person on another issue like immigration. Even on pro-life issues we need to be aware of their arguments such as concern for the woman’s health in a difficult pregnancy. Abortion is never a good thing. While working for an end to all abortions, we must be attentive to the mother’s health as well as the baby’s.
In his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis talks about those who seek out news that agrees with them and declare that news to be right and do not listen to any other perspective. I wrote four articles (see my page “Our Relationships With Others”) reflecting on Fratelli Tutti. To my point today two of those articles, “Our Relationships with One Another” and “Seeking Real Dialogue”, are relevant and I encourage you to read them if you have not read them in the past.
The “cancel culture” seen in many today where they simply tune out anyone who disagrees with them is not good. In the articles I mentioned above I develop this more. For today’s purpose I offer the following quote from Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti
When individuals or groups are consistent in their thinking, defend their values and convictions, and develop their arguments, this surely benefits society. Yet, this can only occur to the extent that there is genuine dialogue and openness to others (203, emphasis added).
Before I drift any further from my original intent, I return to the idea of negativity in the news. Sometimes, we have to keep paying attention to news that we don’t like to find hope. For instance, I have been very disappointed of the Catholic Church in Germany has taken in the last couple of years in its ongoing synod (see Catholic News Agency “German Synodal Way”). However, I find some hope in this week’s news that they have halted a vote on their next step at the Vatican’s request (see Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register as posted on Catholic News Agency, “German bishops halt move toward establishing a Synodal Council at Vatican’s request” February 17, 2024. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256878/german-bishops-halt-move-toward-establishing-a-synodal-council-at-vaticans-request.)
Prayer does work if we pray in accord with God’s Will. Fulfilling God’s Will requires us to realize that all people are children of God. There is good in each person. There is always hope with God.
There are deceitful people. Here I think of the recent news story of a LGBT activist’s funeral that was held in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Other LGBT activists tried to seize this story to say the Catholic Church is finally changing it position on LGBT. Meanwhile, Catholics who affirm Catholic teaching on LGBT issues were lamenting the news. When the truth came out, the parish had no idea that the person was a LGBT person/activist. They were asked to do a funeral and they did it in compassion. The person who was in charge of the funeral arrangements admits they never said anything to the church about the person’s lifestyle choices. Once the parish and the Archdiocese found out the truth, they clarified their agreement with Catholic teaching and offered a Mass of Reparation (see Daniel Payne, “St. Patrick’s Cathedral offers reparation Mass after ‘scandalous’ funeral for trans activist,” February 17, 2024 at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256876/pastor-of-st-patricks-cathedral-responds-to-scandalous-funeral-for-transgender-activist and look for related stories.)
A funeral should never be about advancing an agenda, political or personal. A Catholic funeral service is meant to recognize that Jesus Christ gave his life on the Cross so that all who believe in him as they way and the truth and the life will be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom. There is hope when we set aside our own agendas in favor of God’s Will. Catholics who hold to our Catholic teaching on LGBT issues may have been initially disheartened at the news of this funeral (I was) but we find hope in knowing the parish was trying to do the right thing, not advance an ideology contrary to Catholic teaching.
There are deceitful people in the world. There are also good people. We can struggle to know God’s Will and to actually do it. However, it is possible when we turn our hearts to God. Every time a saint is canonized, it shows that there are good people in this world. Every time a saint is canonized, it is proof that miracles still happen because the canonization of a saint requires that two miracles have been proven through their intercession.
When you hear bad news that makes you cry, know that you do not cry alone. God cries with you. When you pray for God to make things better, ask him what He wants you to do to help.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
P.S. My website has been undergoing a major redesign in its appearance that will be public any day now. As that change happens, some of the links to my own website in this article may not work. If you have any problems using the links, please use the comment link below to let me know.