Homiletic & Pastoral Review: Calumny in the blogosphere

Father Michael P. Orsi writes a serious and very necessary article in the June edition of "Homiletic & Pastoral Review entitled, " Calumny in the blogosphere." It is something that is often left unsaid, but the implications of this sin can be profound. His advice to Pastors and priests is worthy of wide broadcast.

Father Orsi states the matter succinctly. Here is one segment of his article:

Sad to say, Christian circles are not free of such machinations. A recent occurrence in my own diocese serves as an example. Allegations of moral lapses on the part of a brother priest were circulated by interlinked blogs, magnifying the actual facts of the case being investigated, and layering on multiple rumors that featured a colorful variety of imagined illicit behaviors—all before anything was proven. While a ministry was seriously (perhaps fatally) compromised, no allowance was given for the political conflicts existing within the parish or the motives of those who spread the stories. What were little more than assumptions took on a life of their own when a chain of bloggers spread them within minutes throughout the diocese and well beyond.

Bloggers of such a mindset ignore a basic precept of morality: evil means may never be employed to achieve a good end (perhaps their skewed thinking can be compared to that of people who believe it’s moral to kill abortion doctors in order to end the horror of abortion). They forget that the standards of the world—or of law courts—don’t apply when we’re judged in the highest court: at the throne of God. Jesus warned the Pharisees against legal dodges and contrived justifications. God sees the heart.

But here we return to the concept of anonymity. Hiding out in cyberspace provides a certain emotional distance and avoids direct confrontation. This gives calumnious bloggers some distinct advantages over their victims. They can declare someone guilty without evidence, forcing them to defend themselves by having to disprove a negative. And they can be as outlandish and judgmental as they like while remaining shielded from the reactions and reproaches they would encounter in signed commentary or face-to-face debate. This contradicts the two foundational principles of American justice: (1) assumption of innocence until proof of guilt and (2) the right of the accused to face the accuser. But it tends to liberate bloggers from moral constraint by anesthetizing conscience.

This is a serious article that is a MUST READ. The internet can be part of the "New Evangelization" or part of something seriously evil. In the footer to this blog is the verse, "Spiritus sancti gratia illuminet sensus et corda nostra" ("May the grace of the Holy Ghost enlighten our senses and hearts"). May the Spirit hear our prayers for His assistance always!

Amen+