An Orthodox Approach

Please note that all email submitted to Catholic Exchange or its authors (regarding articles published at CE) become the property of Catholic Exchange and may be published in this space. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity. Names and cities of letter writers may also be published. Email addresses of viewers will not normally be published.

A Catholic Newspaper

Dear Catholic Exchange:

I would like to thank you for your wonderful portal. I get a lot of my news, all types, from your portal, as well as the wonderful articles by Alan Keyes, Michael Medved, Mark Shea, and others.

This past week I wrote a letter to the editor of my local newspaper taking the newspaper to task for various issues, most notably some tasteless editorial cartoons they ran mocking the priest scandal. Of course, the paper did not run my letter or even try to contact me about doing so. That led me to think about an intersection between a national paper such as USA Today and this wonderful Catholic portal. Have you ever considered publishing a Catholic version of USA Today — one that would deal with and report national issues from a Catholic perspective? Promoting our side of the issues rather than condoning or promoting abortion, promiscuity, homosexuality, divorce, etc.?

I believe you should take what you have started with your portal and expand it to the print media. Maybe it is a long time coming, but I will pray such a thing comes to being, if not in my lifetime, then maybe in my nephew's and nieces.

Thanks for your time,

Michael Sommer

Northampton, PA

Orthodoxy

Dear Catholic Exchange:

Thank you for your article on orthodoxy [“Speaking Up For Orthodoxy.”] I came into the Church a year ago Easter. During my formation, I was extremely blessed to be strongly influenced by a friend who is incredibly orthodox in his adherence to the Magesterium. My resultant orthodox views, however, can only be a gift from God, as they are polar opposites to attitudes and opinions I had coming into the Church. We are in the midst of a diocesean synod, and the lack of orthodoxy cropping up in this process is disheartening, to say the least. I was in need of a boost tonight and your article provided it.

Thank you,

Amy Julian

Beulah WY

Taking a Stand

Dear Catholic Exchange:

My wife and I are regular patrons of Catholic Exchange, and give monthly donations to your organization (which is one of two organizations which we support regularly): these may not be much, but they represent a sizable portion of our family income. We believe in your mission and are eager to fight for and alongside you in our battle to save the soul of our nation.

We have become weary, however, of the political baggage that has begun to weigh heavily on your organization's shoulders — that is, the consistent pro-Israeli propaganda which adorns the editorial page at least once a week (for example, those of the otherwise outstanding politician, Alan Keyes). We are not partisans of the Palestinians any more than we are of the Israelis, and this is not a matter of mere politics.

Any God-fearing man cannot help but take offense that an otherwise impeccable spokesperson for moral clarity such as yourself would voice such uncompromising and unquestioning support for a nation which has committed such hateful atrocities and bears a political agenda which borders on outright genocide. At the very least, such pro-Israeli propaganda ought to be balanced by recognition of the plight of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, or of the crimes committed by the Israeli state. I feel compelled to mention that yours is the only Catholic apostolate I know of which takes such a rigid anti-Palestinian stance; most others, such as Crisis magazine, are much more balanced, as is the political arm of the Holy See itself.

I know that the views on the editorial page might not represent the 'official stance' of Catholic Exchange. I feel that Bud McFarlane himself may not hold these views. But all the same, the fact that an organization, which claims to be the spokesperson for the authentic Catholic faith, defends such savage military crimes as are currently being committed by the Israeli state is itself a crime against our faith.

Be aware that we are deeply troubled by this development, which has shaken our faith in Catholic Exchange's ability to act as a beacon of moral clarity in this world of savagery and violence. I do not want to stoop to the level of threats, but it would be difficult for our family and others to continue to support your apostolate if this outrage should continue.

Yours in Christ,

Benjamin Blosser

Dear Mr. Blosser:

Tom Allen

Editor & President

Catholic Exchange