Fr. Z Muses: Repression of Catholic Speech and What We Can Do About It.

Fr Zed's take on the proposed Index Websitorum Prohibitorum and the blatant attempts to muzzle Cardinal Burke and Bishop Schneider, along with an excellent suggestion.

From Fr Z's Blog

Right now we are told that transparency and dialogue are important.  When the Synod (“walking together”) opened, Francis called for openness, dialogue, even criticism, saying, “all to speak with courage and parrhesia (candour), that is combining freedom, truth and charity….  Only dialogue can help us grow. Honest and transparent criticism is constructive and helps, while useless chatter, rumours, innuendo or prejudice don’t.”

A few items to consider.

First, the 2018 Synod (“walking together”) in the final document indicated that it could be necessary to impose a kind of approval standard on Catholic websites.  In the present regime, I think we know what that means.

Next, it seems that Francis has communicated through the Nuncio that bishops should “black ball” Card. Burke.

Also, Bp. Schneider has been told that he shouldn’t be outside the Archdiocese of Astana and/or he must communicate to the Secretariat of State where he might go.

One of the things that just popped into my head is a horrifying episode from history.

In the 1950’s Mao Zedong called for intellectuals of the time to share their criticisms so that there could be flourishing of the ‘ongoing revolution’.  Mao quoted a poem saying, “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend”.  What happened was predictable.  Intellectuals spoke up and they were, subsequently, crushed.

Historians are divided about Mao’s intentions: Did he set a trap?  It seems so.

One is reminded also of Thrasybulus and the Tall Poppies.

When the Synod (“walking together”) brought forth the final document, they force marched the multi-lingual voters paragraph by paragraph through texts provided transparently only in Italian.

We may need – before too long – a Catholic “samizdat” movement.

Here’s an idea.  Let’s imagine something for a moment.

Someone (don’t know who) creates a company/foundation which can raise money to provide

1. super fast internet for certain figures who are or will be repressed or not allowed to travel
2. good camera, microphone and tech assistance to the same
3. big screen and necessary tech for two way video conferencing on an ad hoc basis for long distance AV conferences

I don’t know if I got my point across with that.  Here’s the idea.  Say that Bp. Schneider is stuck in Astana because the Secretariat of State commands him not to leave to go to the Diocese of Black Duck at the invitation of Bp. Noble and Msgr. Zuhlsdorf to pontificate and to speak.   Instead, the foundation/company has been providing faster than usual internet to Bp. Schneider, and then to Black Duck, so that Bp. Schneider can deliver is high quality stream of his talk and even take questions etc.  It could be made live and then on demand.

Get my idea?

I’m just thinking in print.  Of course this sort of thing could also be used for bring great people and their ideas to places which ordinarily wouldn’t be reachable.

Perhaps some of you who are far more tech savvy than I am will have ideas.

Samizdat.