I know it is axiomatic that the Ordinary Ministers of the Media do not know how to report on religion. However, some examples are so laughable they need highlighting.
Check Out this WaPo story about a married Lutheran convert being ordained in Germany. Ho-hum, you say? This kind of thing happens with Anglican clergy, if not all the time, enough that it would hardly be remarked upon. (See that bald guy in the Carolinas) But it is not just the rarity the WaPo gets wrong, it’s the remedy!
BERLIN — In a rare move that needed the pope’s approval, a Lutheran convert was ordained Tuesday as a Catholic priest in Germany and is being allowed to remain married to his wife – who has already become a nun.
Harm Klueting, 61, was ordained by Archbishop Joachim Cardinal Meisner in a private ceremony at the city’s seminary, the Cologne archdiocese said.
Pope Benedict XVI gave Klueting a special permission to remain married to his wife Edeltraut Klueting, who became a Catholic Carmelite nun in 2004.
So the Pope allowed him to remain married? As opposed to what? Mandating a divorce? Huh?
Accurate reporting, of course, would state that the Pope allowed the man to be ordained, not that the Pope allowed him to remain married. That is laughably bad.
As for his wife being a nun, which would be the real story here were it the case, I suspect that she is a third order Carmelite of some sort, as this is not brought up again in the article.
There is bad religion reporting and there is this. Thank you WaPo, The Associated Press, and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER. You made me laugh.
February 22, 2011 at 8:10 pm
No, no, this was the best bit:
"The Cologne archdiocese said in a statement that the couple would not have to take the traditional vow of celibacy as long as they remain married – a highly unusual move since celibacy is normally a key requirement for Catholic priests."
Well, sure, I guess it's as unusual as ordaining married men, but it's hardly *that* unheard of. Honestly, there are plenty of mean-spirited dumb articles about the Church all the time, but this one was the most successful I have ever seen at being so riotously clueless and at the same time utterly inoffensive. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought it was hilarious.
February 22, 2011 at 8:20 pm
That's right Anna. Great point. It wasn't hateful. They just had no idea what they were talking about.
February 22, 2011 at 8:24 pm
I didn't know they made golden cardinals' hats now.
And when did they make festive yellow a liturgical color?
Things change so fast these days.
February 23, 2011 at 2:26 am
I heard this in the local news show, and also found it hilariously ignorant. The reporter said, "en un acto extraordinario…"
I just read the AP article. It is so bad, it must be a parody.
February 23, 2011 at 2:36 am
These newspapers need to hire some orthodox Catholics to improve their reporting!