The Vatican has hammered CMR, well it has if you listen to Stephen K. Ryan at MinistryValues.com. Mr. Ryan has dubbed us, along with others, as “Taliban Catholics” singled out for rebuke by the no less than the Pope himself in his call for those engaged in Catholic social media to be mindful that “”The proclamation of the Gospel requires a communication which is at once respectful and sensitive.”

Vatican Hammers Conservative Catholic Bloggers

You know who you are out there.

Vatican’s social communications office, Archbishop Claudio Celli, said it was certainly correct to direct the pope’s exhortation to some conservative Catholic blogs, YouTube channels and sites which, with some vehemence, criticize bishops, public officials and policies they consider not Catholic enough.

“Taliban Catholicism” is John Allen’s description of web-based McCarthyism on the rise in the Catholic blogosphere and undoubtedly this is what the Vatican was referring to.

Pressure is on to radically change the Roman Catholic Church in America, but it’s not coming from the usual liberal suspects. A new self proclaimed beed of theological conservatives has taken to blogs and YouTube spearheaded by Michael Voris to say the church isn’t Catholic enough. Many of these conservative catholics have been enraged by dissent that they believe has gone unchecked for decades, and unafraid to say so in the starkest language, these activists are naming names and unsettling the church.

-In the Archdiocese of Boston, parishioners are dissecting the work of a top adviser to the cardinal for any hint of Marxist influence.

-Bloggers are combing through campaign finance records to expose staff of Catholic agencies who donate to politicians who support abortion rights.

-RealCatholicTV.com, working from studios in suburban Detroit, is hunting for “traitorous” nuns, priests or bishops throughout the American church.

I suppose that “Bloggers are combing through campaign finance records to expose staff of Catholic agencies who donate to politicians who support abortion rights,” refers to CMR if not also others.

Good, we embrace our designation as Taliban Catholics. I think Mr. Ryan misinterprets the Pope’s words to mean that people with whom Mr. Ryan disagrees should shut up.

We here at CMR love the Church, love our Bishops, and even try to be respectful of stupid people. Stupid ideas, well that is another thing altogether.

Taking the Pope’s admonition to be repectful and sensitive, let me just say this to Mr. Ryan. I respect you. I am sensitive to you. I would like to know how you interpret the Pope’s words in a way that allows you to assert that the Vatican “hammers” conservative Catholics (aka people you don’t like) and to call us names like “Taliban Catholic.” Do you think that properly embraces what the Pope was getting at when he called for respect and sensitivity?

Now others, way less respectful and sensitive than I, might call such a thing blatant hypocrisy and downright laughingly stupid. But not me. No, not me.