Battle of the blogs

SEEMS the New York Times and NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan have locked horns by posting dueling blogs.

It all started when Mr. Paul Vitello, who covers the (VERY meager, IMHO) religion section of the TImes posted a light-hearted (read: condescending) piece about Dolan's new blog.

His Eminence immediately returned the favor by blasting the NYT for its piling on the RC Church in what many believe is open season on the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. He gave several examples, notably last week's scathing column by Ms. Maureen Dowd criticizing the US bishops for their Grand Inquisition (my words) of women religious.

Far be it from me to insert myself in this blogger brawl (yeah, right), but to be fair, both sides have merit.

The Cathoic Church is very old, very big and very powerful. It has a right and duty to speak out on the cultural and social issues of the day. But if it does so, it should not start whining like a pouty school girl when society or the secular media pushes back.

For its part, the secular media has a right and obligation to critcize what it sees as hypocracy or duplicity on the part of the Church. But it does itself or its arguments or audiences a great disservice when they only criticize but never commend the many good things the Church does.

Indeed, mean-spirited and gratuitous attacks on the Church only water down legitimate criticisms.

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