The Pope, Condoms, and the Media

I have often been very critical of the mainstream news media on this blog, usually with good reason. I want to thing perfectly clear. I believe the mainstream media, with only a few exceptions, has become the mouthpiece of Satan himself. I know this sounds pretty harsh, but look at the facts. Whether it's CNN, Associated Press, the New York Times, or a whole list of others, they always look for any opportunity to distort the truth to malign the Catholic Church and attack the Pope. Look at these latest headlines from AP, CNN, and NY Times:

Pope says some condom use 'first step' of morality 

Pope says condoms may be OK in some circumstances 

Pope Says Condoms to Stop AIDS May Be Acceptable

The Pope drops Catholic ban on condoms in historic shift - Telegraph.co.uk 

These so called reputable news sources would have you believe that the Pope is drastically changing the Church's stance on condom use. They are practically giddy with the revelation that the Church is admitting it's wrong and changing it controversial teaching against condoms.

When I first saw these stories earlier today, I had a hard time believing this, especially since Pope Benedict XVI has stood so firmly against giving into the relativistic nature of our society. I want you to form your own opinion on this story however. Read the above stories and then read this last article below from EWTN/CNA.

Pope Benedict advocates right sexuality, not condom use, in fight against HIV 

I think it's pretty obvious who is telling the truth in these articles. The first four articles above don't even come remotely close to being accurate. The EWTN/CNA article uses the condom statement in the proper context so the reader can see that the Pope is actually defending Church teaching and not trying to change it. Secondly, the Pope made these remarks during the course of an interview with a journalist. They were not made in any official Church or Papal document like an encyclical. In other words, they are just the Pope's opinion and he has freely admitted that even the Popes can have opinions that are incorrect. By no means whatsoever do these statements reflect a change in any official Church teaching. Jimmy Akin on his blog at the National Catholic Register does a remarkable job dissecting these reports and getting to the truth behind this mess. Please take the time to read his posst at the following links:  

The Pope Said WHAT about Condoms??? 
Understanding the Pope's Dilemma on Condoms 

As I mentioned before, this is typical of the anti-Catholic mainstream media. What can we as Catholics do about this? We can start by not taking anything from the news media at face value. It doesn't take much time to do a little research online to get both sides of the story. You will be surprised by how often the news media is not as accurate or unbiased as they lead to you believe. Secondly, educate yourself on your faith. A Catholic with a firm understanding of their faith would know just by reading those headlines that the story is just another distortion of the truth. Finally, don't be afraid to speak up and defend our Church and the truth. It's up to us to stand up for the truth when we hear others trying to tear it down. This includes even contacting the various news media and telling them that is unacceptable. We could make a difference if these news outlets are flooded with calls and emails from faithful Catholics telling them enough is enough.

In case you have any doubt as to what the official Vatican response is to this media circus, I will leave with these links to the statements from the official Vatican spokesman:

Vatican spokesman: Pope not changing Church teaching on condom use 
Statement on Pontiff's Words Regarding Condoms