Musings of an Old Curmudgeon
The musings and meandering thoughts of a crotchety old man as he observes life in the world and in a small, rural town in South East Nebraska. I hope to help people get to Heaven by sharing prayers, meditations, the lives of the Saints, and news of Church happenings. My Pledge: Nulla dies sine linea ~ Not a day without a line.
17 April 2026
Traditional Catholic Evening Prayers in English | April
Summa Contra Gentiles Book I: God is Good
Debate: Should We Delete Catholic AI?
The Life of His Majesty the King Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)
Does the Universe Have a Purpose?
What Does the Church Teach About “Free Speech” on Social Media?
First of all, until VII, the Church did not believe in "free speech". The immemorial teaching of the Church was that "error has no rights".
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
The Church encourages free speech on social media, while also urging safeguards that help steer the culture in the right direction.The concept of free speech on social media has been a hot topic in recent years, with many Catholics advocating strongly both for it and for various limitations.
The Catholic Church has written about freedom of speech in various documents, highlighting its benefits and challenges. It is not a piece of technology that is perfect and is unprecedented in its ability to reach the entire world in a matter of seconds.
Right to express public opinion
Gaudium et spes explains that, "The present keener sense of human dignity has given rise in many parts of the world to attempts to bring about a politico-juridical order which will give better protection to the rights of the person in public life. These include the right freely to meet and form associations, the right to express one's own opinion and to profess one's religion both publicly and privately."
The Church recognizes that everyone should be given the chance to express their opinion. This is good and praiseworthy, but at the same time needs to be within the confines of the truth.
All this supposes that, within the limits of morality and the common utility, man can freely search for the truth, express his opinion and publish it; that he can practice any art he chooses; that finally, he can avail himself of true information concerning events of a public nature.
As for public authority ... It is necessary to do everything possible to prevent culture from being turned away from its proper end and made to serve as an instrument of political or economic power.
Everyone should be able to express their public opinion, but it does need to be within the context of moral truth.
The main problem with this guideline is that many of those in power are not formed by Christian truth and will inevitably let their own beliefs form their decisions.
Protection of society from misuse of media
Furthermore, the Church has always encouraged the use of media, but not when it starts to degrade society.
The document, Inter mirifica, explains this dynamic of freedom:
Lastly, the same public authority, which legitimately concerns itself with the health of the citizenry, is obliged, through the promulgation and careful enforcement of laws, to exercise a fitting and careful watch lest grave damage befall public morals and the welfare of society through the base use of these media. Such vigilance in no wise restricts the freedom of individuals or groups, especially where there is a lack of adequate precaution on the part of those who are professionally engaged in using these media.
Special care should be taken to safeguard young people from printed matter and performances which may be harmful at their age.
When a media platform starts to harm society, the Church would recommend that it be regulated and under strict watch. This has only become more difficult to accomplish in recent years with the internet and the global reach of social media. Personal responsibility becomes even more important in these circumstances.
While the Church gives us sound guidelines, there is no clear vision forward for how to implement them in a fallen world, and we need to be aware of the many ways that social media can cause harm, especially to the young.
Pope Leo Makes Big Change To His Historic Meeting With Cardinals
The Liturgy had been the focus of the coming consistory of cardinals but now Evangeli Gaudium, a document of Francis, is the focus, at a time when political rhetoric is heating up between Washington and Rome in a way that can only be accurately described as a political trap the President stepped into.