L’Osservatore Romano and President Obama
June 18, 2009, 8:56 am
Posted by Joseph A. Komonchak
National Review Online has a lengthy interview with Gian Maria Vian, editor of L’Osservatore Romano. Most of it is devoted to a discussion of the Vatican daily newspaper’s treatment of President Obama. Well worth reading.
Thanks, Joe. It was extremely interesting.
A very impressive interview on Gian Maria Vian’s part. One can’t help but feel that Delia Gallagher doesn’t see eye to eye with him on the issue of Obama and abortion!
So, Fr. K, are you going to forward an autographed copy of this interview to Archbiship Burke?
Very interesting but can’t help but think that, give the polarization, one side would read between the lines one way and the other side the other way.
Whether or not it’s intentional, it would seem that the Holy See and the US bishops are playing the good-cop/bad-cop game.
Does Delia Gallagher work for NRO now?
Jim P: Interesting analogy. But who is the good cop and who is the bad cop? The Catholic right is not happy with the interview at all, and might see the roles differently than others would.
Also, if they’re the cops, what are we–the perps?!
It is a very interesting interview, and shows I think how the tail has often wagged the dog in terms of media coverage of the “right.”
“The Catholic right is not happy with the interview at all…”
What did the Catholic right publish to make you believe it is unhappy with this interview? I did not see any commentary on the Corner or FT, for example, that would indicate wholesale unhappiness – I did not see any mention of the interview at all actually, which is particulary strange since it was published on NR Online. My last recollection of any commentary in traditional outlets that those here would describe as representing the “Catholic right” regarding L’Osservatore were back in May. Did you see something in non-traditional forums?
MAT, I see Deal Hudson is not happy, and CWNews and other outlets that have carried the news haven’t produced happy commentary. I’m not sure what you mean by “wholesale unhappiness.” Vian seems to defend his earlier statements and coevrage which drew criticisms from the usual suspects, so I don’t think it surprising this would produce a similar result. Do you read it otherwise?
http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6256&Itemid=48
“I did not see any commentary on the Corner or FT, for example, that would indicate wholesale unhappiness – I did not see any mention of the interview at all actually, which is particulary strange since it was published on NR Online. ”
I actually take that back – Michael Novak did write something on the Corner about the interview. But now having read it, I am even more puzzled about the definition of unhappiness you are using. I mean, his post included the following, which does not really seem to imply unhappiness as I understand the word:
“Mr. Vian is a kind man, a gentleman, and extremely loyal to the Church. It is true that I have volunteered to write for L’Osservatore Romano, and I still would be happy to do so at any time. In general, the paper has much improved under his leadership, and many of us are very grateful to him.”
From Rocco Palmo who includes a question to Novak and Novak’s response:
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Re: Vian’s Choice [Michael Novak]
I appreciated the kind words about me by the editor-in-chief of L’Osservatore Romano in Delia Gallagher’s interview this morning. As readers of my original article in National Review know (the same article mentioned by Vian that was translated for the Italian newspaper Liberal), I did not accuse Vian or the paper of being in favor of abortion, but rather suggested that because of the distance and the difference between the two cultures, their long article on Obama at Notre Dame did very much encourage pro-choice Catholics, and did make life a bit more difficult for pro-life Catholics. I heard this from a number of U.S. prelates and pro-life leaders before publishing my article. Mr. Vian is a kind man, a gentleman, and extremely loyal to the Church. It is true that I have volunteered to write for L’Osservatore Romano, and I still would be happy to do so at any time. In general, the paper has much improved under his leadership, and many of us are very grateful to him.
06/17 04:32 PMShare
Like I said earlier, it depends upon the “spin”.
Hi, David, no we are not the perps (good thing – I really need to work on my walk). That honorific falls to the august gentleman from Chicago domiciled on Pennsylvania Ave. :-) And even he is innocent until proven guilty – that seems to be one of Vian’s main themes!
Thanks for posting this. Mr. Vian comes a cross as a true newspaperman in the final comment – he’s just happy that people are talking about his newspaper.