The media coverage leading up to nearly every World Youth Day follows a pretty similar trajectory. It certainly has for each of the WYD events I’ve covered (Toronto, Cologne and Sydney), and it’s happening again in the lead-up to Madrid, which begins in just seven days.
That trajectory is that the secular media trots out all of their negative stories—the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the Church’s so-called traditional teachings and how they are at odds with the culture-at-large, how the youth are disaffected and disconnected with the Church, and the costs for hosting WYD.
In the lead-in up to WYD in Sydney, I penned this observation for the Register’s Pope2008 site about the mainstream media’s struggle to understand WYD.
I predicted that once the media observed the enthusiasm, excitement, and faith of the youth, their criticisms would die away.
At the time, Australian Bishop Anthony Fisher explained.
“Some organizations in particular have used World Youth Day as a reason to bash the Church from the very beginning, when it was first announced,” said Bishop Fisher. “It’s anti-Catholicism.”
“Hopefully, as the days go on, that will change. We’re already seeing positive stories in the press. Yet, there are some organizations that would prefer to report on a single pilgrim falling off the bus rather than reporting on the 200,000 who made it safely.”
And then, within days of the Pope’s arrival, the full transformation took place, with nothing but positive headlines.
The same thing happened when Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington, D.C. and New York earlier that year.
So, it is with interest that I see the same pattern forming for WYD in Madrid. I am not covering WYD this year (and a good thing, too, as I’ve been battling pneumonia for the past three weeks), but I did see this very predictable story.
CBS has reported that the Pope’s trip has come under fire for its cost. The story was picked up by Voice of America and given additional traction from the Irish Times.
As an additional dig, the story reports that a group of 100 priests from Madrid’s poorest parishes are criticizing the visit. Some are planning to protest.
It all calls to mind Judas’ complaint when Mary Magdalene anoints Christ’s feet with costly oil.
Christ responds, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”
Perhaps what is most alarming to me, is how one-sided the coverage has been.
None of the articles have described what the influx of nearly a million visitors for a week or two does for the local economy. WYD officials say that the event will give the economy a 100 million Euro boost.
Also, the articles conveniently overlook the charitable work being done by WYD and its attendees. For any journalist willing to look, they would have found this press release, which highlights two social aid projects being carried out through WYD – one for families at risk in Madrid, the other for young victims of violence and poverty in Brazil.
WYD is cooperating with Caritas to build a residential complex in Madrid for families at risk of social exclusion. The complex will house 127 families. Likewise, in Brazil, opportunities are being made available for youth affected by poverty and violence. Both projects will be presented to WYD participants, encouraging them to assist through financial donations and social networking.
“The formative aspect of World Youth Day would be incomplete if we failed to remind young people that their faith remains incomplete unless they help others, unless they are generous, unless they try to do something about changing what they see is wrong,” said Yago de la Cierva, executive director of World Youth Day.
Furthermore, many of the hundreds of thousands of youth in Madrid over the course of WYD will be engaged in charitable work. Madrid’s Highland School held a fundraiser and sent 2,500 Euro to missions in Mexico. WYD’s Solidarity Fund is making it possible for those in poor countries to attend WYD.
While the press might like the controversy, it’s tremendously one-sided in reporting the actual facts about WYD.
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So it’s like the Olympics or the World Cup, but bringing people together with something great they have in common, rather than dividing them in petty squabbles over blood doping and bribing judges. I really don’t get the media sometimes.
The liberal secular media I do believe are like Pavlov’s dog. All you have to do is say Catholic and they think attack!
What always floors me is how LITTLE coverage is typically given to WYD…as a WYD veteran (ah, Cologne) I can contest to the enormity and importance of the event. 1.2 million attendees came in 2008, and that isn’t even the largest number of participants we’ve ever had. That the press chooses to basically ignore these record numbers of people—gathering peacefully in the name of religion to boot, which you’d think they would find at least slightly interesting—is terribly depressing. Most people I know have never even heard of WYD. Staggering. Something needs to be done…
The list of what the media ‘doesn’t get’ is vast….the Pope (both present and past), enthusiastic Catholic youth, the truth of the scandal and the Church’s response and the list continues onto the March for Life (also vastly under reported and ignored) homeschooling (not for everyone but a good thing), religious vocations (also not for everyone but a very good thing), and large families (we’re not all the Duggar’s) and any number of other seemingly “Catholic” things.
But, you would think after almost 20 years (more?) of WYD’s they would begin to get a clue.
Don’t hold your breath on the secular media (esp. the NY Times) ever “getting” the purpose, the response, and the actual activities participated in by the vast majority of those going to World Youth Day. The NY Times and much of the non-Christian Main Stream Media (MSM) editors have an agenda. They select what to report based on the agenda, and exclude reporting on data that doesn’t fit their agenda. They will be amazed that Benedict XVI talks about things other than the “pedophile activities” of abusers. They may be non-plussed by the fact that most attendees are polite, don’t leave garbage all over the place (a la Woodstock) and don’t riot.
Enjoy the coverage, but trust Catholic reporting of developments, not the MSM.
TeaPot562
The secular media hates the Catholic Church.
Most of the secular media owners hate the Catholic Church.
They think that negative press will do what Pharisees, Romans, barbarians, heretics, persecutions, Nazis, executions, harassments, Moslems, exiles and Communists could not do; which is to eleminate the Church and its membership.
They are looking at the finite tangible world which they can control to an extent bringing down politicians and secular organizations as ‘they’ see fit.
They have no control in the infinite spiritual world that shows us the Way, the Truth and the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It seems to me that it’s mostly old men who will be attending. I hope that’s not true. If it’s not true, maybe it will motivate the old men that do attend to become young at heart and more inclusive in their view of the church.
Rejoice! They’ll get it when they’re dead! Seriously I hope there are conversions when this awesome event takes place. God bless.
Interesting that they are talking about costs. What about the attendees, many who have held fundraisers, and bake sales and car washes, just to scrape money to get there to be with others their age who believe and want to share their faith. It’s their money that is being pumped into the local economy as much as any ...
I’m afraid the same thing happens at any event where the Catholic Church is involved. You only need to look at the the pope’s visit to the UK and the talk of arresting him. It was good to see that the media changed it’s tune when it saw the huge crowds that turned out to see him. Also I’m Irish and I wouldn’t worry much about what the Irish Times says it is not a widely read paper over here.
I find myself continually at ends with the Catholic Church, so much that I did a painting. The title is “The Pope Wears Gold”
http://www.postmodernrevelation.com
Thank you for checking it out
James
one of the best articles related to WYD.kudos for showing off what the secular media is really about.now,have a world wide youth day for gays,and the media will have the best coverage ever.
David Wickert, between 500,000 to 1 million young people are estimated to be attending this year’s World Youth Day. From what source did you get the idea that “mostly old men” will the attenders?
In terms of your hope that the Catholic Church will become more “inclusive,” the Church is already universal, in that all people are called to join the Church that Christ Himself founded. If by “inclusive,” you mean the ordination of woman as priests, and/or the changing of other historic Church teachings on the objective sinfulness of homosexual acts (including “gay marriage”), artificial birth control, and abortion… it is not loving to be “inclusive” of serious errors which Christ Himself did not, and would not, condone.
James, your painting betrays a terrible misunderstanding (and maligning) of the role of the Pope in relation to Christ. It is deeply offensive to faithful Catholics. However, given that your portrayal is likely due to misunderstandings on your part, I will choose to believe that you are maligning the Church out of ignorance, rather than willful evil.
Let the media continue to not “get it.” I see the hand of God in their blindness. Consider the “surprise” by the Administration that 65 pro-life Congressmen can be elected in 2010; or that the top 4 GOP vote getters in Iowa signed the SBA List Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge; or that a vice presidential loser would have such an influence on the outcome of elections, without even running for office. So let the media ignore the 2MM young Catholics who will travel from all over the world to give glory to God, just like it ignores the thousands upon thousands of young people who March for Life in January all over the world. Only those with the eyes of Faith can anyone really see what is happening. “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” (Ezekiel 12:1-3) Our young people are the remnant! That’s all it ever takes….just a remnant.
Not only is WYD mostly avoided or reported in a manipulated way, so is the coverage of the Pro-Life march done yearly on the steps of Washington, DC.
I do not watch network tv any longer because I am just sickened by the shows they broadcast and idiots they have as “reporters”—especially on NBC’s Today show. Oprah is also a sinister devil in a blue dress, along with Dr. Phil.
You would think that reporting on such an event as WYD would be seen as a positive thing—Children united to join in the worship of God, prayer and for peace. It’s so sad that more poeple do not see what the media and Hollywood’s intentions are for the world—To posion it with mindless sex, gender bending, a deterioration for life, morals and family and a dilution of society overall. Policital Correctness is BS—What it really means is “accept others, even though what they do is wrong and only live by what man feeds you…”
Good thing we have a network like EWTN on the air the broadcast and show poeple that are smart enough to tune in to see a grat celebration such as WYD.
And these pilgrims will give back before they leave Madrid! I have heard a wonderful story of a Marianist Brother whose own camera was pickpocketed on one of the streets there in Madrid. A group of the boys from his school decided to visit a store right away and they each chipped in some euros of their own money to buy this Brother a new camera! They spoke to the salesman (perhaps store owner) and explained their situation. After selling them the camera, he opened it and placed the memory card and a charged battery in the camera. He asked the boys to come closer, took a picture of them and told them that it was only proper that the first picture from this new camera this dear Brother would see would be of these young men. These young men did well - and it is their religious and lay faculty that have taught them well! Christ is alive in all their hearts.
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Posted by Pilgrims Give Back on Sunday, Aug 21, 2011 9:05 AM (EDT):And these pilgrims will give back before they leave Madrid! I have heard a wonderful story of a Marianist Brother whose own camera was pickpocketed on one of the streets there in Madrid. A group of the boys from his school decided to visit a store right away and they each chipped in some euros of their own money to buy this Brother a new camera! They spoke to the salesman (perhaps store owner) and explained their situation. After selling them the camera, he opened it and placed the memory card and a charged battery in the camera. He asked the boys to come closer, took a picture of them and told them that it was only proper that the first picture from this new camera this dear Brother would see would be of these young men. These young men did well - and it is their religious and lay faculty that have taught them well! Christ is alive in all their hearts.”
—my reply—thanks for sharing such a great story….These types of stories are what the media should report!
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