Seriously, we are doing something wrong.
Matt and I are like the Rodney Dangerfield’s of Catholic blogging. Nobody is offering us honorary degrees. This all just goes to prove my theory that the value of ‘stupid’ is misundervalued in our society. Or something.
But Rocco, Rocco gets his props.
Rocco Palmo’s life has been infused with four major blessings — his large Italian family, journalism, baseball and the Roman Catholic church.
All four will coalesce Friday as the 27-year-old blogger, who lives in and works from his parents’ home in Philadelphia, receives an honorary doctorate from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. His parents will be there as Palmo gives the commencement address to the seminary’s 77 graduates. He’ll also watch his beloved Phillies take on the Cardinals this week.
“Rocco has shown that someone with his background — a Christian commitment, but also his abilities and background in journalism — can use the blogosphere in a very powerful way in terms of communicating the message of the church,” said the Rev. Richard Peddicord, president of the Aquinas Institute.
Aquinas has never awarded an honorary degree to a journalist, and the only other journalist who has given Aquinas’ commencement address was Peter Steinfels of The New York Times in 1993.
In awarding Palmo an honorary doctorate, the 84-year-old Dominican seminary is making a statement about the changing relationship between journalism and the Catholic church. The award for Palmo’s work on his blog Whispers in the Loggia is also an expression of how American Catholic leaders hope to encourage a younger generation to engage their faith through news.
Congrats to Rocco. But seriously, what Rocco got that we don’t got? Besides all the sources and connections and friends. Besides all that stuff, what huh?
But we got something that Rocco doesn’t have and when I think of it I will be sure to let you know.
May 6, 2010 at 5:25 am
What BS. Seriously.
Read Rocco Palmo's blog. What "scoops" does he ever have? Really? He hints that he knows who the next bishop of Poughkeepsie is, but seriously, anyone who works in diocesean office of any sort or is second cousin to a bishop knows who the next bishop of Poughkeeepsie is going to be too. He has a gift for synthesizing, I'll give him that, but he has no inside track and his blog is no more newsworthy than any other Catholic news-centered blog. Everyone's on the same phone line.
So what's he got that you haven't got? Nothing. But what do you have that he doesn't have? I could make a list, and you'd win.
May 6, 2010 at 7:08 am
I've only visited Palmo's blog a few times (following links from other blogs), so I can't comment on the blog's quality. However, given the blog's title (Whispers in the Loggia), its description, and specially that picture he uses, I had the impression he was some old priest in Italy or something. Learning that he is actually a 27 year old who lives with his parents is surprising to me.
May 6, 2010 at 12:30 pm
You've got mad photoshopping skills.
May 6, 2010 at 1:05 pm
It's like Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
May 6, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Thanks, Archbold brothers, for being gracious. Makes me like you even more:-).
May 6, 2010 at 2:27 pm
You guys have a sweet blog template.
HE has that old and busted lame white, standard background.
May 6, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Let's see, what's the one thing you've got that he doesn't?
US!
No wonder. 😉
May 6, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Well, he must be pretty sure of himself over this, if he finally shows his picture.
Several years ago, Rocco's work was parodied in a blog known as "Lispers in the Woggia." The fictional "ecclesiastical lingerie editor" of L'Osservatore Romano got quite a few laughs before disappearing into cyberspace forever. But while the real deal's work is aggressive, often quite illuminating, his popularity may have peaked, with the rise of other more sophisticated weblog authors like Father Zuhlsdorf and (to be honest) the Archbold brothers.
What does he have that you don't? Nerve. You don't try to get into closed meetings of prelates whereupon you are quickly ushered to the door. You also don't reduce matters of faith and the Church to tabloid-style revelation. If that's what it takes to get an honorary doctorate in anything, you could probably live without it.
It's not as if you could get a teaching job with it.
May 6, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Apparently, this is the style of writing that earns Catholics an honorary degree.
"It's somewhat counter-intuitive, but every time I see an outraged conservative writing in a homosexual panic, I wonder more about the writer than the one being written about. Dom Bettinelli's been going on for three days screaming about gays and trying hard to "out" the bishop of Memphis for writing a pro-civil rights column. The only problem with his Terry Steib crusade is that there's no there, there. But let's be honest: has that ever stopped the sash fringe before?
Sorry if this news to anyone, but to put a new twist on an old expression, honeys, the boys have always been with us. And (surprise, surprise!) they're more likely to flock to the cassocks and lace than the post-conciliar types who get called all kinds of libelous names, so watch where you direct your guns — they might just be pointed in the wrong direction.
I know this because the boys of the old school have always been the first to try and put the moves on me. And I'm straight!
Do I go on screaming hellfire about this? No — it's between a man and his God, who am I to get in the way? The belief always was, if my catechism is correct, that God (not CWNews) is the supreme judge of the world and all will get their due, so why fret? Why this need to get all control-freaky and play Cardinal Ratzinger, snowflakes? Somebody feeling inhibited?"
So now we know that this insightful fare was written by a 23 year old in his mother's basement.
Frankly, I am surprised he did not get a Maltese ambassadorship too.
May 6, 2010 at 3:25 pm
U got style, u got class, Fuggedaboutit!
NY & Jersey trump Philly ANYTIME! AND u got pretty Italian girls that think you are both cuter than Rocco! 😛
May 6, 2010 at 3:28 pm
"The belief always was, if my catechism is correct, that God (not CWNews) is the supreme judge of the world and all will get their due, so why fret?"
The flaw in accusing someone of being "judgmental" is that to do so makes one judgmental as well. That level of reasoning wouldn't get past first-year theology, let alone to a doctorate.
Until now.
May 6, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, not good.
May 6, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Tween sensation Rocco Palmo is the Justin Bieber of catholic blogging.
May 6, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I work next door to this Church. Yesterday afternoon I took a quick spin around the block and bopped into church. They have a little area around the tabernacle for people to pray. I needed a moment during a trying day. As I walked out the front, I saw a guy with a camera coming in. I could have met Rocco!
May 6, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Sorry anon – that is unfair to young Master Bieber.
Rocco is more like the Perez Hilton of catholic blogging.
May 6, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Anon and Old Gray Mare, Rocco is a fellow Catholic blogger. Please stop being catty in my combox.
May 6, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Matthew:
Oh snap! See guys, told u they have class!
Pray for Rocco,when u have the limelight, u need the the words of the Holy Ghost (oooh Im such a trad) be on your tongue at all times.
We pray that the he is given these words on a daily basis. I once sent him a pretty tough email which he promptly and rightly ignored.
Once I started to blog and grew very quickly because of the support and generosity of the Brothers Archbold, I decided to write another email. This one a little less snarky but very picayune about something or other.
He had seen that CMR had posted me and put me up on their Blogroll and because of that he answered me with much charity and respect.
So, in that light, we know just what treasures we have here at CMR.
"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." ~John 3:8
May 6, 2010 at 4:59 pm
How can he be a Catholic AND a Phils fan?
:::ducking:::
May 6, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Nightfly, I'm a transplanted Philadelphian. I grew up in New York so am a Mets fan.
My wife, however, is a Catholic and a Phillies fan. I will tell her immediately that her soul is in peril because of the Phillies. Thank you. You've done great service today.
May 6, 2010 at 5:16 pm
CMR – you know you must be doing something wrong when people try to court favour by offering honorary doctorates… heheheheh
;-p
Keep up the good work!