NCR — National Catholic or Censorship Reporter ???

By Jerry Slevin
Christian Catholicism
September 2, 2014

http://christiancatholicism.com/ncr-national-catholic-or-censorship-reporter/

Many National Catholic Reporter (NCR) bloggers are today imploring NCR’s editor, Dennis Coday, in comments like the following:

“Dennis, Can you comment on why Jerry Slevin has been apparently banned from posting in the NCR comments section? Thanks.” and

“I would also like to hear from Mr. Coday on this. I don’t think we want this website to be known for censorship of anyone’s views. We already have an institution that works that way.” and

“…If there is no response, then Mr. Coday has made a decision not only to ignore his readers, but to engage in the same kind of censorship we find so reprehensible in other sectors of the church….”

NCR has seemingly ducked these calls for transparency for over a week now. Will NCR now respond independently or will it follow the censorship lead of the Catholic Church hierarchy that NCR claims to be “independent” of?

Dennis Coday’s response, or lack thereof, may be fundamental to whether NCR is still an independent voice or just another captive echo chamber of the Catholic hierarchy and their wealthy right wing apologist supporters. It is ominous surely that NCR today has a column praising EWTN, the ultra-right wing Catholic media outlet.

NCR, of course, knows Catholics are good at accepting censorship, which is sadly the case, even for many NCR bloggers who purport to be progressive and prophetic.

NCR will likely continue to decline as an effective and independent force for Catholic reform on its current trajectory under its new management, unless it reverses course. The conservative Hilton Foundation, with its recent $2 million grant to NCR , as well as some of NCR’s wealthier right wing backers, appear to be getting what they may have sought—a right turn at NCR.

NCR increasingly is morphing into a kind of mix of People Magazine and Readers Digest, with a Catholic vocabulary.

Most NCR bloggers refuse to acknowledge that, apparently because NCR makes them feel good when they comment, even when NCR’s inquisitorial censors zap the comments.

Catholic childhood brainwashing is a tough disability to overcome, it appears.

For more background, see here:

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This matters much, especially to those suffering as a result of the Catholic hierarchy’s continuing failure to hold bishops fully accountable for protecting priest child sexual predators.

Listen to Mary Q, who wrote this weekend to Bill Lindsey, a prominent Catholic theologian and moderator of the well regarded and progressive Bilgrimage.com website:

“Dear Bill, Thank you so much for taking the lead and reporting on the NCR censorship of Jerry Slevin’s comments. I am so grateful to both Jerry and you for all you have contributed to the discussion of sexual abuse in the clergy (and elsewhere).

As the adoptive mother of a 10-year with full-blown PTSD (from sexual abuse inflicted at age 3-5), I live daily with the results of such horrendous crimes against children. Our child suffers from severe dissociation, in time, person and place, with constant intrusive memories and flashback that have resulted in Developmental Trauma: brain development in cognitive processes and emotional regulation are frozen at the 3-year old level, most saliently when the PTSD is triggered by a sudden reminder (either conscious or subconscious). Our son’s trauma has consumed our entire lives, day in and day out from dawn to dusk. Now, multiply that by all the children who have been harmed, and those children who have been denied acknowledgement of the crime perpetrated upon them (valid reality denied) and even worse, no support or help for recovery offered.

I fully concur with Ruth Krall’s recommendation for a comprehensive conference on sexual abuse as a PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. Because IT IS, and it is one that the Church has perpetrated and escalated. And it is a crisis that, with respect to the Church, was preventable. …

We are so grateful to all here who have worked to raise awareness and action toward pushing the RC church to acknowledge the deep and multi-generational harm done to those children and their families. I personally would like to see the meta-data on the victims — and I know that is virtually impossible. But the massive aspects of this public health crisis must be made known: the depth and breadth of the harm, which can now be medically, neurologically and genetically quantified.

And that really cannot happen until all the church’s “books” are opened, and the truth is revealed. Thank you, Jerry, from the bottom of my heart, for all your dedication on behalf of these children. Mary Q “

And here’s what Bill Lindsey was told this weekend in a comment from regular NCR blogger, DANNO. He is a “priest sexual abuse survivor” from Milwaukee who appears to have been left high and dry by Cardinal Dolan, who in effect buried the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s cash in a cemetery trust.

The Milwaukee Archdiocese then filed for bankruptcy, reportedly, to prevent abuse survivors like DANNO from getting paid for their claims. I have often in my NCR comments encouraged DANNO and other abuse survivors to fight back via NCR comments and otherwise. He is a very courageous person.

DANNO commented to Bill Lindsey as follows:

“Bill, thank you for shining the light of truth on this troubling issue.

Gerald Slevin has helped this victim of clergy rape and molestation on my journey to becoming a survivor and a relentless advocate for other survivors.

NCR has not responded to my request for information on the censorship of Mr. Slevin. I will not allow this to stand!!!!

NCR seems to be following step one (ignore) of the hierarchy’s playbook. Corruption needs secrecy and censorship to survive.

Ignore, deny, minimize, obfuscate, shift blame. apologize but continue the immoral behavior.

Too bad that the Church and NCR has forgotten about Jesus.

Gerry, I truly appreciate and admire your efforts and you have my complete support”

On behalf of many like Mary Q and DANNO, I ask: “What’s up, NCR, have you sold your soul?”

I have repeatedly called on NCR to press President Obama for a US Presidential Commission to investigate institutional child sexual abuse like Australia is now doing.

I think such a US national commission is urgently needed and that NCR’s editors should publicly support this approach if they are really serious about curtailing priest abuse of children.

NCR’s editors have failed to pursue my request and I have pressed them strongly about it over a long period. I am convinced by my experience and reading that this is the only way to compel the Catholic hierarchy to curtail priest child abuse effectively and transparently. The hierarchy will not do so adequately on their own, which should be evident by now to any objective observer.

Fr. Thomas Doyle, O.P., the world’s leading advocate for survivors of priest sexual abuse, and many others have supported my call for a US national commission. Listen to Fr. Doyle here:

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If priest child abuse is not effectively curtailed, other purported Vatican structural and doctrinal reforms can never be enough, in my opinion.

My position on the absolute priority of protecting kids from priest predators has led me to challenge NCR on other related issues and at times to criticize NCR’s coverage and approach to many matters. Since I am a trained advocate, I assume this may make some NCR editors uncomfortable at times. So be it.

NCR is by this point a Catholic community resource, not anyone’s personal possession.