People are writing and speculating about the firing of Mark Shea and Simcha Fischer at EWTN’s National Catholic Register. Many are happy about it. I don’t know if too many are unhappy. Perhaps. Some see a change on the horizon. Where?
Shea and Fisher served a purpose. They were instigators and they were tasked with muddling the heads of faithful Catholics, especially to promote leftist political issues. Lies and anger were some of their tools. EWTN didn’t work with them out of loyalty and indulgence. They wanted them there for as long as they had them. They wanted the muddled heads.
Many imagine that the National Catholic Reporter or America Magazine might become a new outlet for these two writers, but that would be surprising. There is an affinity, but not an enough of an ideological match. More importantly they don’t have the required skill set. FrancisChurch, from its top to its parish pastor has, unfortunately, a very effeminate homosexual quality and character. It’s slippery. Writers on the left are quite talented, capable and extremely careful. They can be furious like Michael Sean Winters or Fr. Thomas Rosica, but in this they are much more like snakes than bulldogs. They know when to come in and go out from under their rocks. Crux’s John Allen is a highly talented and intelligent writer who sees exactly which way the wind is blowing, but he manages to maintain an air of honesty while applying very little of it. He and others like him are persuasive, and masters at turning and twirling readers so they’re pointed off course. Think Elizabeth Scalia and everyone at the New York Times.
A lack of persuasion is the cardinal sin for which American Catholic’s Donald McClarey faults Shea and Fisher. Boniface says it’s that they were loose cannons off stage. Both very true. Mr. Armaticus thinks an unCatholic, liberal EWTN is a money-losing proposition. I don’t agree. There is always money in modern times for people who help to wreck the Church. I don’t think they were fired for any of these reasons. I think it was politics.
Politics was the reason Shea and Fisher were retained for years. Politics was their purpose and they knew it. They did their jobs. It’s just that EWTN is no longer in the market for their unique (odd) services. Why?
Well, as Wikileaks has been the latest to demonstrate, Francis – I mean the idea of a Francis as pope – is about politics (Did you think it was about Christ and his saving mission?) and the Catholic media do seem to be bending along the Francis lines.
Others have paid for it, and those payers expect Francis and his Church to turn the ‘catholic’ vote. Shea and Fisher were just helping, but I guess EWTN has now decided they don’t want their help that much. Has FrancisChurch jumped the shark? Is it in fact having the opposite effect on voters?
I’m often too optimistic. I don’t follow sports. I know life is, in a sense, a game, but since it really isn’t, I prefer not to look at it that way. But I’m not convinced Trump is losing right now. I think he probably will ultimately lose because the entire establishment is lined up against him and they will mount and count the votes, but I believe he’s actually quite popular.
When Trump dinged the Francis on his U.S. Border stunt, it teased out the Pope’s monstrous hubris and contempt for decent people. Normal people really don’t like the hyped Francis program. They don’t like Hillary. They don’t like people like Shea and Fisher. You can’t just make normal decent people, sacramental Catholics who live their faith in other words ‘conservatives’ into liberals, even if you foist a Francis onto Peter’s chair.
The actual operation of the Church has always relied upon benevolent power and suffered without it. If Trump is on the way to becoming president, my guess is it will have a certain good effect upon the Church. Maybe for some reason EWTN now wants to anticipate that hopeful day with a remaining shred of respect. Maybe Shea is right. It was about Trump.