Policing the Media and the Universities

According to Catholic New Service http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0905092.htm, Cardinal George in his opening address to the fall conference of Catholic bishops "noted that discussions have recently begun about how the bishops might strengthen their relationship to Catholic universities, 'to media claiming the right to be a voice for the church' and to organizations that direct various works under Catholic auspices.

"Since everything and everyone in Catholic communion is truly interrelated and the visible nexus of these relations is the bishop, an insistence on complete independence from the bishop renders a person or institution sectarian, less than fully Catholic," Cardinal George said.

"The bishops' efforts in these areas are intended 'to clarify questions of truth or faith and of accountability or community among all those who claim to be part of the Catholic communion.'"

Many conservatives will welcome this enforcement effort. I think if the Holy Spirit were guiding the efforts of Cardinal George, he would be looking to further the cause of truth by persuasion instead of trying (I will bet) in a futile way to get magazines and universities to knuckle under to the bishops.

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