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Bigoted Un-Funny Funnies
By Edward A. Turzanski, For The Bulletin
Winston Churchill once observed that “The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth.” The Great man’s wisdom came to mind in response to The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial cartoonist Tony Auth’s latest insult against the Roman Catholic Church, presumably occasioned by the news that the Archdiocese of Wilmington has been driven into bankruptcy by the cumulative weight of sexual abuse lawsuits being filed against the Delaware Catholic Diocese.
In announcing the bankruptcy, Bishop W. Francis Malooly said that the Chapter 11 filing “offers the best opportunity, given finite resources, to provide the fairest possible treatment of all victims of sexual abuse by priests of our diocese.” Bishop Malooly added that “Our hope is that Chapter 11 proceedings will enable us to fairly compensate all victims through a single process established by the Bankruptcy Court.” No reasonable person of good will — certainly no real Catholic — would deny the evil of pedophilia or the horrible magnification of the crime when performed within the sacred space that is the Church. The guilty should be punished; the victims should be helped to the greatest extent possible; and never again can the Church avert her gaze from such an unspeakable evil. Bishop Malooly’s comments certainly appear to support that position, and his explanation for the reasons underpinning the filing speaks to a genuine effort to be as supportive of as many victims as possible.
Yet, Mr. Auth divines a motive on the Bishop’s part that is the direct opposite of the plain meaning of his words and actions. His cartoon depicts a Bishop with miter and full vestments (presumably Malooly), kneeling, with arms raised heavenward, shrieking with a weirdly excited look the words “Let this cup keep passin’ me by!” and a chalice with the words “Responsibility for Sexual Abuse and the Cover-up” standing off to the side. Good editorial cartoons use a rapier wit to accentuate a core truth that explains an important social or political issue. In this particular case, Auth’s idea of a rapier is a hatchet; his idea of wit is to mock the Roman Catholic sacrifice of the Mass; and because the truth is uncooperative to his making an important societal point, he makes an accusation that amounts to nothing less than outright calumny. Mr. Auth could have been more imaginative and fair. Had he instead depicted Christ and the Bishop weeping together at the news of the bankruptcy and the crime which occasioned it.
Mr. Auth might have prompted people of good will to understand the true, widespread tragedy of the situation. Innocent children were harmed beyond belief; and a Church that has ministered to the spiritual, emotional, educational and physical health needs of countless souls has been morally wounded and financially devastated. To have offered such a thoughtful cartoon, however, Mr. Auth would need to set aside his animus to the Catholic Church and faith. For Auth, his newspaper, and the majority of what is now the mainstream media (in all its forms — print, television, radio, film, music, art, net) organized religion — more specifically Christianity — and most specifically Roman Catholicism — represent anti-intellectual superstition and deeply unnatural sexual dysfunction. Anti-Catholicism is truly the last acceptable prejudice in the media culture.
In another anti-Catholic cartoon, Mr. Auth depicted Catholic members of the Supreme Court as wearing Bishop’s miters, suggesting that they were unable to faithfully discharge their duties to the Constitution as honest jurists because of their Catholic faith. There is a name for this type of generalization — it’s called bigotry. Mr. Auth and his media colleagues who attempt to mock the Church and its loyal supporters into silence because they do not have a fashionable view of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, distortions of marriage, sexual expression and the overall decline of the culture have had a definite effect, though not the one they intended: they are driving more and more of us to sources of information and opinion other than the publications which pay their salaries.
The Inquirer is not the credible news source of Walter Annenberg’s vision in our younger days. It is a strongly leftist-leaning advocate for policies that stands in direct opposition to large numbers of what had been their traditional readership — and it has gone broke in the process. In a quirk of unintended consequences, the old political adages of not picking fights with people who buy ink by the barrel and not getting in the way of adversaries who are committing suicide have come together, and our adversaries are doing themselves in with their own ink. Go ahead Mr. Auth, continue to mock and to distort — and do it in a way that is unfunny, unfair and outrageous. Our Church will heal itself, the gifts of Christendom will be passed on to future generations, and we will come out of this dark episode more committed through faith and reason to the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. As for you and your media colleagues, enjoy your bankruptcy proceedings!
Edward A. Turzanski is a political and national security analyst and lives with his family in Our Lady of Calvary Parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
In announcing the bankruptcy, Bishop W. Francis Malooly said that the Chapter 11 filing “offers the best opportunity, given finite resources, to provide the fairest possible treatment of all victims of sexual abuse by priests of our diocese.” Bishop Malooly added that “Our hope is that Chapter 11 proceedings will enable us to fairly compensate all victims through a single process established by the Bankruptcy Court.” No reasonable person of good will — certainly no real Catholic — would deny the evil of pedophilia or the horrible magnification of the crime when performed within the sacred space that is the Church. The guilty should be punished; the victims should be helped to the greatest extent possible; and never again can the Church avert her gaze from such an unspeakable evil. Bishop Malooly’s comments certainly appear to support that position, and his explanation for the reasons underpinning the filing speaks to a genuine effort to be as supportive of as many victims as possible.
Yet, Mr. Auth divines a motive on the Bishop’s part that is the direct opposite of the plain meaning of his words and actions. His cartoon depicts a Bishop with miter and full vestments (presumably Malooly), kneeling, with arms raised heavenward, shrieking with a weirdly excited look the words “Let this cup keep passin’ me by!” and a chalice with the words “Responsibility for Sexual Abuse and the Cover-up” standing off to the side. Good editorial cartoons use a rapier wit to accentuate a core truth that explains an important social or political issue. In this particular case, Auth’s idea of a rapier is a hatchet; his idea of wit is to mock the Roman Catholic sacrifice of the Mass; and because the truth is uncooperative to his making an important societal point, he makes an accusation that amounts to nothing less than outright calumny. Mr. Auth could have been more imaginative and fair. Had he instead depicted Christ and the Bishop weeping together at the news of the bankruptcy and the crime which occasioned it.
Mr. Auth might have prompted people of good will to understand the true, widespread tragedy of the situation. Innocent children were harmed beyond belief; and a Church that has ministered to the spiritual, emotional, educational and physical health needs of countless souls has been morally wounded and financially devastated. To have offered such a thoughtful cartoon, however, Mr. Auth would need to set aside his animus to the Catholic Church and faith. For Auth, his newspaper, and the majority of what is now the mainstream media (in all its forms — print, television, radio, film, music, art, net) organized religion — more specifically Christianity — and most specifically Roman Catholicism — represent anti-intellectual superstition and deeply unnatural sexual dysfunction. Anti-Catholicism is truly the last acceptable prejudice in the media culture.
In another anti-Catholic cartoon, Mr. Auth depicted Catholic members of the Supreme Court as wearing Bishop’s miters, suggesting that they were unable to faithfully discharge their duties to the Constitution as honest jurists because of their Catholic faith. There is a name for this type of generalization — it’s called bigotry. Mr. Auth and his media colleagues who attempt to mock the Church and its loyal supporters into silence because they do not have a fashionable view of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, distortions of marriage, sexual expression and the overall decline of the culture have had a definite effect, though not the one they intended: they are driving more and more of us to sources of information and opinion other than the publications which pay their salaries.
The Inquirer is not the credible news source of Walter Annenberg’s vision in our younger days. It is a strongly leftist-leaning advocate for policies that stands in direct opposition to large numbers of what had been their traditional readership — and it has gone broke in the process. In a quirk of unintended consequences, the old political adages of not picking fights with people who buy ink by the barrel and not getting in the way of adversaries who are committing suicide have come together, and our adversaries are doing themselves in with their own ink. Go ahead Mr. Auth, continue to mock and to distort — and do it in a way that is unfunny, unfair and outrageous. Our Church will heal itself, the gifts of Christendom will be passed on to future generations, and we will come out of this dark episode more committed through faith and reason to the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. As for you and your media colleagues, enjoy your bankruptcy proceedings!
Edward A. Turzanski is a political and national security analyst and lives with his family in Our Lady of Calvary Parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
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