The three largest mainstream media wire services all agreed that supporters of Pope Benedict XVI who dared to stand up to anti-Catholic leftists in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday were extremists of the right of some sort. The Associated Press used the “right-wing” label to describe the faithful Catholics. Both Reuters and the French Agence France-Presse both used the term “far-right youths,” with the AFP going so far as describing the pro-Benedict protesters as “far-right militants” in another report.
ACT-UP Paris, joined by communists and “green” activists, protested in front of the famed Gothic cathedral to voice opposition to the pontiff’s recent remarks against condom use during his visit to Africa. In addition to holding signs which labeled Benedict XVI an “assassin,” they threw condoms on the ground while giving others to passers-by as people were leaving Mass. The radical left-wing activists skirmished with the supporters of the Pope, leading to the arrest of eleven people by police.
None of the press reports went into any detail as to why the pro-Benedict demonstrators would be given the “right-wing” or “far-right” label. The Reuters story only cited an unidentified “police source” which apparently identified them as being “associated with the far-right.” The AP reported that the “about 20 ‘right-wing’ youth” were chanting “lay off my Pope.” One of the AFP reports apparently cited the same police source, that the Catholics were “associated with the far-right and who were carrying placards saying ‘Leave my Pope alone.’” These three reports agreed that those who were criticizing the pontiff were merely “left-wing” or “leftist.”
The other AFP report, after labeling the papal supporters as “far-right militants,” gave an additional detail:
Eleven people were arrested after skirmishes pitted two dozen far-right militants against a group of green and communist activists handing out condoms outside the cathedral after Sunday mass, police said.....
Held back by a police cordon, the Catholics chanted in Latin and hurled eggs and water at the activists, an AFP correspondent reported.
The assorted anti-Benedict XVI protesters were initially described in the report as being “anti-AIDS activists.” Bizarrely, there was no label describing them as being from the political left, despite the mention of the greens and the communists.
An official with the French Young Greens, cited in a French-only report (roughly translated here), gave a statement about the papal supporters: “Clearly, they were extreme right-wing activists: they sang in Latin and shouted traditional anti left-wing slogans.” By using the “far-right” label, the three press agencies are showing their tacit agreement with the take of this leftist activist. Go figure.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Agree
March 23, 2009 - 11:30 ET by cvgbuckeyeI am a church leader in a "Mega-Church" that the MSM would label as Evangelical and Protestant. BUT it may surprise some that I and WE are supporters of the Pope who is doing his job, designated by God to hold the torch for morality and Godliness in a hostile and sinful world, not different from anyone in Church leadership.
The Pope is a good man who is unafraid and unintimidated in his refusal to follow the foolish wishes of people who know little about Christianity, in that they advocate that the Pope could tell God to change for the sake of political correctedness and modern social mores.
What fools you are!
I Agree too,Cvg...
March 23, 2009 - 12:04 ET by iveseenitallOne of my greatest disappoinments came when religious leaders as a group refused to condemn Bill Clinton's immorality. To this day I can't understand their silence. Instead of standing up for what they claimed to believe, they became politically correct politicians. It shook my faith. God bless this Pope and any other person who stands up for right vs. wrong , consequences be damned.
P.S. I'm currently reading a book written by Winston Churchill. Now there was a "leader". Contrast him to the clown in our White House today. I sent a note about Churchill to Barry. He wrote back, "Who?" How sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Jesus prays for all Christians
March 23, 2009 - 12:04 ET by lotrAnd one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. -- Edgar Allan Poe
CVG
March 23, 2009 - 15:12 ET by NorthCoasterI agree with you, because I have come to have great respect for the Popes in recent years. I belong to the unfortunately Liberal UCC and have looked to the Pope as a great Christian spiritual leader. My church could use a leader of such personal conviction in our next president but I won't hold my breath because I expect that we will get a Senatorial type who will cave in to the LGBT and anti-American Liberals.
Well
March 24, 2009 - 11:16 ET by cvgbuckeyeNorthCoaster: We are a Church of Christ. We are independent of ANY ruling authority except God, The Word of God and the duly elected Elders, Deacons and Pastor/Teachers. We belong to no structured church organization.
We are considered a protestant church but we celebrate the many, many things that we have in common with the Catholic church and we openly discuss with them the four major differences that exist. We will be joining many, many Catholics in The Kingdom of Heaven some day.
We do not condemn denominationalism but we do point to it as giving many churches cause to deviate from the strict adherence and teaching of The Scriptures.
We may be of assurance that a popular vote by a denominational board of directors does not impress God to liberalize his views to conform to the changing ways of a decadent society. You would think that we would have learned that lesson long ago from Noah's contemporaries.
NOPE!
left-wing media bias on parade
March 23, 2009 - 11:38 ET by lotrHow does chanting in Latin (I'm guessing Gregorian) make one "far-right"?
And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. -- Edgar Allan Poe
Latin makes you far-right?
March 23, 2009 - 13:42 ET by aakaakaakI was always under the assumption that the latin language (outside of the Vatican) was dominated primarily by collegiate liberals. By their association the Pope would be a liberal, right?
Or wait, is this somehow an effect of Regan's trickle down economics that Mr. Mellenchamp was speaking of? /sarcasm
Let me get this straight
March 23, 2009 - 12:47 ET by KC MulvilleSome leftists show up to disrupt a Mass, and that's OK. But when some other people show up to respond to the protestors, they're labeled as extremists. Because, I suppose, it's perfectly OK to come out of Mass at a cathedral and be accosted by a bunch of people who can't stand your religion, and we're expected to tolerate them as they throw condoms on the ground before us? According to the press, there's nothing wrong with that. But when some people object to that, they're the nutcases?
Caution: Liars at work.
Those leftists are more
March 23, 2009 - 12:51 ET by rbosqueThose leftists are more against the Church then they are advocates of AIDS victims.Throwing condoms around serves no purpose. If they want to stop the spread of HIV, it needs to start at the heart, that is, it is a morality issue.
I'm Not Catholic But
March 23, 2009 - 13:45 ET by deerjerkydaveI'm not Catholic but I support anybody who promotes goodness, love of God, love of neighbor, and love of life. Only by radical leftists could this be interpreted to be anything but extreme. Which only proves the radical agenda of the partisan propagandist media.
It says something to the Pope's integrity that he has stuck to his "guns" and hasn't caved in to the winds and waves of popular opinion. Let's hope that future Popes are equally strong against the tide.
Radicals
March 24, 2009 - 11:22 ET by cvgbuckeyedeerjerkydave:
The world is not a comfortable place for Christians as it should not be. Most consider us radicals if we attend church every week. Most consider us radicals if we are so bold as to invite them to church. Most consider us radicals if we follow the scripture by giving at least 10% of our earnings to the Church. Most consider us radicals if we ever bring up the name of Jesus Christ.
Come to think of it, we are radicals, are we not! Guess who was the biggest radical of all!
c'mon, too easy
March 23, 2009 - 14:38 ET by SickofLibs'Militants' vs 'Activists.'
I know who I'd rather trust to watch my back.
“far-right militants”
March 23, 2009 - 15:50 ET by CarlosSWe are, after all, the Church Militant!
Thanks and the pope is right
March 23, 2009 - 21:15 ET by surfergirl54The Greens show utter contempt for people who were worshipping God on a Sunday that it makes my blood boil.
Hmm... what is this about singing in Latin and extreme right-wing? As a Catholic I make a few observations:
1. the majority of Catholics these days do not know Latin, but do know a few hymns that are sung in Latin :) - Adeste Fidelis is one of them (hands up all who know this hymn)
2.there are a lot of priests who know the Latin but far from being extreme right wing, they tend to be centrist left-wing.
However, let me deal with the subject that caused such a disgusting display by the Greens - the real far right or far left of society. I happen to agree with the comments made by the Pope. In fact a leading AIDS expert in the USA also agrees with the Pope. (I should use a link to the other article where an AIDS expert has come out in support of the main thrus of what Benedict was saying). The reason that I agree is that the experience in Nigeria showed that whilst abstinence was being practiced there was a steady decline in the number of new AIDS cases, but as soon as people stopped with the abstinence there was an increase in these cases. I have always believed that the pushing the use of condoms is in fact condoning the activity that is leading to sexually transmitted disease. The condoning of the activity will not lead to a decrease in the STD - in this case it is AIDS or HIV. The only way to reduce the STD is to stop indulging in the activity.
The fact is Pope Benedict can only speak to the morals of Catholics in Africa, he cannot speak to the morals of those who are Muslim or pagan. It is stupid to condemn the Pope for addressing the Catholic faithful over an issue that relates to morals. In fact I would like to see the Pope speak on a few other issues, including that of incest - just like in the New Testament where St. Paul wrote that the person who was committing incest should be put outside of the community.
To be followers of Christ (thank you to all who have supported the Pope in the above comments for you are true followers of Christ), one has to spurn the ways of the world. It does not mean insulating self from the world, but it does mean not indulging in the worldly sexual practices including fornication of any sort. This I believe is the real message that is being given.
Oh yes, we are the Church Militant but that does not make us far-right. That is a label that is meant to shut us down but perhaps we need to toss the label aside and stand up to be counted.