Communist Bishops Want to Censor the Internet: Auxiliary Bishop vs. Auxiliary Bishop

Auxiliary Bishop Barron (Los Angeles) and Auxiliary Bishop Schneider (Astana) represent censorship versus frankness.

(Rome) Cardinals against cardinals and bishops against bishops are currently taking place in the Church. And the vast majority of the pastors are silent - not necessarily elegant, but overwhelmed or cowardly. The most recent example is two auxiliary bishops who take completely opposite positions on the same subject. On one side is Msgr. Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, on the other side Msgr. Athanasius Schneider of Astana.

"It is time to introduce a permit"

Monsignor Robert Barron was appointed Titular Bishop of Macriana and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2015 by Pope Francis. He is quite well known in the English-speaking world for his publishing activities as the founder of the non-profit organization Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He recently advocated the introduction of a Nihil obstat by the bishops for everyone who publishes on social networks. According to Bishop Barron, online activities by Catholics should be subject to approval. What he brings up is the ecclesiastical variant of a tightened network enforcement law and coincides with the aspirations of certain secular circles in the left political spectrum since the election victory of US President Donald Trump in November 2016 to try to restrict the Internet.

The justification for the required Internet censorship is also congruent with worldly endeavors. There is "hate speech," Auxiliary Bishop Barron said, and positions that "move away from the theology of the Church." What is meant by this seems less clear today than one might think at first glance. What exactly is “the theology of the Church” today that does not tolerate a dissenting opinion? Theology is not the same doctrine. Which theology should you not “move away from” in order not to lose the episcopal permission to publish on the Internet?

The U.S. Catholic National Catholic Register published an interview with Auxiliary Bishop Barron on January 29.

Question: Do you think the Church needs to develop its vision and social teaching in relation to social media?

Auxiliary Bishop Barron: I would like to make a proposal in this regard, knowing that as a little backbencher to the Bishops' Conference I have absolutely no authority to do that. But like John Paul II in Ex corde ecclesia the bishops are called upon to exercise greater oversight of the universities under the aegis of the church, I would recommend that we bishops exercise some authority over those who claim to teach for the Church in social media space. To be honest, there is a troubling number of such people on social media who deal with hateful, divisive speech, who often contradict the theology of the Church and, unfortunately, have a strong influence on God's people. I think that the shepherds of the Church who oversee the magisterium can and should point out when people damage the body of Christ on social media. I wonder if it's time to introduce something like a permit for those who claim to teach the Catholic faith online

"It is our right to express our concern"

Msgr. Athanasius Schneider, who was founded in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. Titular Bishop of Celerina and Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganda. In 2011 the same Pope appointed him as Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Astana. In September 2019, Bishop Schneider, together with Diane Montagna, published the conversation book "Christus Vincit: Christ's Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age " in the United States. Diane Montagna is the courageous Rome correspondent from LifeSiteNews who asked uncomfortable questions about the idolatry of the Pachamama at press conferences on the Amazon Synod.

The book deals with the same subject that Auxiliary Bishop Barron commented on, but Auxiliary Bishop Schneider answered it quite differently.

Question: Is the Internet an important tool for the laity to defend the faith?

Auxiliary Bishop Schneider: Yes, of course. I see the internet and social media as tools of providence that offer laypeople who want to defend their faith a unique opportunity to be united. That would not have been possible 30 years ago. Now I see lay people, men and women who have the courage to say to their pastor, bishop and also the Holy See: “Please, we are concerned about these facts. This is not the belief of our fathers. We ask to defend the faith of our mother, the Church. "The liberal church establishment - I call it the church nomenclature [1] - now accuses the laity of interference and says: "It is not your business. Shut up!"

Question: That smells of clericalism, wouldn't you say?

Auxiliary Bishop Schneider : Yes, this attitude of these clerics against the lay faithful is evidence of enormous clericalism The lay faithful must answer these arrogant clerics. That is what the Second Vatican Council teaches about the layperson's duty to testify and defend faith. You can tell these clerics: “If you love the Second Vaticanum so much, you must allow yourself to be criticized! Let us stand up and speak frankly in the Church to defend our fathers. We have the right to express our concern, including the Pope, because we are a family. ”In this new and courageous attitude of many lay people, I see a realization of the intentions of the Second Vatican Council. God allowed evil after the Council and uses it to gain greater good from it.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Archdiocese of Los Angeles / Corrispondenza Romana

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[1] The "nomenklatura" were the communist functionaries, all key positions occupied in the socialist dictatorships in the Eastern Bloc and all areas of public life supervised and directed.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG