How did NPR’s Scott Simon make it into this post? Hang on, gentle reader, and all will be clarified.
Do you hear what I hear?
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Indulgences
Celebrity confessionals are a vertiginous business. Not so much for the authors, who get to beat their breasts, name a few names, absolve themselves and move on, but for us, their market, consumers, fans or critics.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Pulled into Nazareth...
A few things about Pope Benedict’s extended viist to the Holy Land were predictable. One, every word the pontiff said would be parsed for meaning like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Two, every place he went would become highly symbolic. Three, some Palestinians and Israelis would be offended when the Pope either addressed or seemed to be slighting the concerns of the other party. And lastly, there would be little journalistic consensus, at least in the immediate aftermath, about the impact of either his words or his actions on the tinderbox called the Middle East.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Praise without a "preyer"?
In my denomination, as in most other mainline Protestant ones and the Roman Catholic Church, among others, clergy and lay volunteers are required to undergo anti-sex abuse training, which includes a criminal background check.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Holy (modern) Communion
We have so much fun with the British press on GetReligion that it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to flex some other critical muscles on behalf of our colleagues across the pond. Thanks to commenter David, who sent us this Times of London story about a new Catholic order of nuns, for giving me this opportunity. While there are some places where writer Joanna Moorehead doesn’t go deep enough or give enough context, the vivid quotes and uncondescending portrayal of these unusual women compensate for her flaws.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Hate preachers anonymous
That’s what seemed to be brewing in the land of Shakespeare when it became public knowledge that British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had banned 22 people from entering the country (only 16 are named). Apparently the drawbridges against the “least-wanted” have been raised since October, but Smith only just made the decision to publish the list, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Got news? A special Casey?
Secular media hero? Or a Trojan horse among Catholics? This week, Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey, Jr., was portrayed as both.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
The fantasticks
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Stoned soul pastors?
As “old media” seek to reach new audiences through the use of online technologies, we’ve seen journalists, like the Boston Globe’s Michael Paulson develop blogs (his is “Articles of Faith”). Sometimes these are a way of posting less formal comments on a topic. Sometimes they offer another place to discuss issues that journalists can’t fit into the traditional news hole.
Please respect our Commenting Policy