Anti-Catholic Bias at the Trib

I had noticed this also, but I am so glad that Bishop Paprocki wrote this and the Tribune actually published it on their website. I saw the article about the couple and IVF a week or two ago and wondered why the article was published - it was not new a teaching, new technology, and certainly its not new that couples use IVF against church teaching.

It is always popular to promote dissenting Catholics while never (or rarely) doing the same for other faiths. I had taken a class as an undergrad about religion in America where we covered the basic teachings of different faiths and their impact on America's history. I noticed that it was only for the Catholic Church that we were given information on dissenters. I asked the professor (who was a sister) why we never saw information from groups who say wanted to change the basic teachings of Islam or Hinduism. She didn't really have an answer. This is the same kind of thing. Its a subtle attempt to undermine Church teaching by constantly promoting unorthodox teachings... I would say more, but I should hold my tongue.

But Jesus said we would be hated for following him, so I guess this really shouldn't be so surprising.

Anti-Catholic bias
April 14, 2009
Anti-Catholic bias

The Chicago Tribune became known for its anti-Catholic bias when it frequently ran xenophobic editorials that criticized foreigners and Roman Catholics as long ago as 1853. Apparently not much has changed, as the Chicago Tribune published an editorial on April 3 attacking Cardinal Francis George as being "deeply out of line" for upholding church teaching, and ran on March 31 an opinion piece by Don Wycliff, a former Tribune editor, urging the University of Notre Dame to "stick to their resolve" in defying Catholic bishops.

The twist in the Tribune's 21st Century approach seems to be to enlist dissenting Catholics to be the mouthpiece of the newspaper's attacks against the church's teaching authority, such as William Daley's column on April 3 asserting that Cardinal George's position on the Notre Dame commencement "continues a worrisome pattern in which the Catholic hierarchy in America is mixing religion with politics."

Similarly, in the front-page story "Faith or family? Some Catholic couples seeking kids struggle with church doctrine" (Page 1, April 5), the Tribune features Catholics who have acted against Catholic Church teaching on in-vitro fertilization.

I don't recall the Chicago Tribune ever running such stories and editorials against any other church or religion, let alone with such frequency or invective, so I can only conclude that the know-nothing views of the Chicago Tribune have not changed.

I am reminded, however, of Jesus' words as he was crucified:

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

—Rev. Thomas J. Paprocki, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, Archdiocese of Chicago

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