Thursday, August 13, 2009

Perpetual Adoration at Saint Clement's coverage: Michael Paulson and the Globe should know better

As one commenter posted: "All in all, it's not a bad article." And it isn't. But the lead taints it from the get-go.

The adorers sit in silence before the wafer.

Come on. "The wafer?"

Michael Paulson has been reporting on religion since at least the turn of this century. There is absolutely no journalistic reason why he didn't note, in the lead, that Catholics believe that the consecrated wafer is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Instead, he, or his editor, chose a lead that reflects the Catholic put-down style of a P.Z. Meyer. (For quick reference only...please don't bother to read the linked post, unless you really want to.)

Other problems with the article include...

...the implication that adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is "unusual." What I think (I hope) he means is that Perpetual Adoration is rare. Adoration itself is quite common!

This comment by the Cardinal is a good one:

“For us to have the Eucharist visible for adoration is a very ancient tradition in the church, and a way to nourish people’s faith and spirituality,’’ O’Malley said. “Throughout the country, there is a renewed spirit of Eucharistic devotion, and we certainly want to encourage that here.’’

This line in the article is, at best, disturbing:

O’Malley said he occasionally participates in the practice.

Huh???

There's gotta be a typo here. There is no way I can believe that any priest, in whose home and workplace resides the Real Presence of Jesus, doesn't spend at least some time every day in Eucharistic Adoration. "Occasionally?" There's no way I want to believe this comment.

Perhaps it's a question of semantics.

Perhaps. In any case, it's a joy—regardless of odd reporting—to know that, in still another place within the Archdiocese of Boston, Perpetual Adoration is taking place.

Source: The Boston Globe