EWTN: Always In Trouble?

In an interesting development this week, one of Pope Francis's closest collaborators retweeted a tweet from a gentleman which called on EWTN to sack Raymond Arroyo, or failing that, for someone, whoever that may be, to impose an interdict on EWTN itself. (You can read about it here in full and see the tweet.)  Many maintain that their retweets should never be taken as an endorsement of an opinion expressed in the original tweet, so we shall give the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was retweeted as an item of interest rather than as an expression of agreement. But the sentiment expressed in the tweet is of concern. We rarely hear talk of interdicts now and demanding the sacking of a journalist for hosting a conversion in which particular opinions and personalities are critiqued, while it happens, if such a demand was enforced then most news agencies would be cleared out in a matter of hours.

For the record, and as those of you who follow me know, I have a series on EWTN, and while I may be accused of defending Raymond Arroyo because some might surmise we are all buddies in the same hive, those who know Raymond and his work over the years will know that his professionalism needs no defence. In his interviews he is fair, congenial and seeks to get at the truth in a way which is often much more pleasant than those means employed by many others in his profession. I often think this disarms those he interviews and gets more out of them.  While he is not confrontational, he wants to get at the truth and in the interview which led to the above tweet, Raymond with this guests in the "Papal Posse" are trying to investigate, clarify and make sense of what is going on in the Church today. That this is raising the ire of some says more about them than Raymond and EWTN.

Fidelity In Truth

EWTN as a Catholic network is Catholic, and it seeks to be faithful to the magisterium of the Church. When she founded it, Mother Angelica sought to evangelise those Catholics who had lost their way and were immersed in confusion in the years following the Second Vatican Council. She made a point of supporting Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI when many self-styled progressive theologians and prelates preferred an alternative magisterium. For this she endured many trials and was rarely flavour of the month with a number of American bishops. Her spats with Cardinals Bernard Law and Roger Mahony are well known and in each of these points of Catholic doctrine were at stake. Yet despite her notoriety (or perhaps because of it?), Pope John Paul was one of her ardent supporters because he knew she was faithful to the truth and though it cost her dearly personally, she would not back down. Some called that pride, others a holy stubbornness, but those who knew her well realised that it was simply her fidelity, not only to the truth, but to Christ. Mother took her religious life seriously - she struggled hard enough in her life to be able to commit herself to Christ. She took her vows seriously and for her these vows, as always understood (or at least until lately), were spousal. Christ was her spouse and her defence of the truth and the teaching of the Church emerged from her ardent  love of Christ.  If we want to understand Angelica then we can look to many of those strong Christian women of the past like St Catherine of Siena, for example, who seems to me to be closest to Mother in mission, zeal and 'immovability'. 

Some thought that Angelica was motivated by personality, that she targeted those of a liberal persuasion and went after them. That was not true. For Mother each person was a child of God, redeemed by Christ and called to live in the Spirit.  Those who departed from the truth received her prayers and she sought to bring them to the fullness of the truth so they could be, if I may use Pope Benedict's motto, 'cooperators in the truth'. However, those who propagated teachings which departed from the truth and led souls astray, these she felt called to correct and she did so through EWTN. It did not matter who was propagating these teachings - lay, religious or cleric, priest or bishop, she taught the truth. Certain personalities took offence with this and some irked her to the point of her saying things that might have been said in a more diplomatic manner, but Angelica's focus was always on imparting the truths of the faith to the flock. When the shepherds failed to do so, she did it and though clerics sought to remind her it was not down to her to preach the faith, she fully understood what her duty was as a baptised Christian and a vowed religious: a duty enshrined not only in the Gospel but in the documents of the Second Vatican Council: it falls to all the baptised to proclaim the Word of God, not just bishops and priests.

Always In Trouble

EWTN seeks to faithfully follow the mission of the foundress: to proclaim Christ and his teachings and to teach the truths of the Catholic faith. It has done this on meagre resources and with many sacrifices and often in the face of criticism and mockery. While there has never been a call for an interdict to be imposed on the Network, there have been many attempts to silence it and even shut it down. Mother's greatest sacrifice, signing away her life's work, was made to save EWTN from being destroyed (for the full story here see Raymond Arroyo's fine biography). It would be accurate to say, then, that for much of its history EWTN has always been in trouble.  It has weathered many storms and it is true to say that it is the grace of God that has kept it afloat. I believe it will face many more storms and God will continue to protect and guide it.

Raymond Arroyo in his work is convinced of the Network's mission and his weekly news programme, The World Over looks at various topics from a Catholic perspective. His regular conversations with Fr Gerald Murray of the Archdiocese of New York and Robert Royal, author and editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing, features explanation and commentary on all things papal, and in this pontificate, attempts to parse Francis, his teachings and utterances as well as the events and people around him. Fr Murray and Dr Royal are not lightweights, they are learned, thinking and experienced Christians who seek to be faithful to Christ and the Church; they have their ears to the ground and are not easily fooled. They are also outspoken and if there are serious questions that need to be asked, they ask them and today this seems to have raised the shackles of some. As the one who facilitates their questioning, Raymond is no longer flavour of the month with some of the current ecclesiastical elite; in this he seems to find himself following in the footsteps of Mother.

A New Index

What is most astonishing in this whole affair is the call to have Raymond and EWTN silenced. Critiquing certain positions is no longer allowed, it seems, and those who raise their heads above the parapet to have a good look at what is really going on risks the blow of the axe.  Certain ideas are no longer allowed to be aired, and that seems to be bringing us back to a time when elements within the Church tried to silence those who questioned. Are we seeing the restoration of the Index?  This time it is not books but rather the media; it is not philosophers and theologians, but orthodox Catholic news networks and their journalists. If this is so, it is sad. What is ironic is that it is not die-hard conservatives trying to quash error and heresy who are calling for this censorship and proscription, but liberals and those who claim to support dialogue and mutual understanding in the Church.

Now I have my issues with the idea that 'error has no rights'; I am not a huge fan of censorship. I personally believe people are allowed to believe what they like, though not do what they like. When it comes to the Church I see it as a communion of faith and charity; and so as a communion of faith to be a member of the Church one must embrace certain truths and adhere to them. That said, there is a lot of room for reflection and, of course, development which, faithful to the truth, leads us to a deeper understanding of that truth. Right from the beginning Catholics have been debating and reflecting, and yes even fighting among ourselves, on various issues. By and large that is a good thing (as long as we do not kill each other - we must remember that we are also a communion in charity). In this process we knock the corners off each other and come, I would hope, to a greater knowledge, as well as having a bit of fun in the argument à la Chesterton.  When it comes to questioning and critique we cannot assume there is malice in the process. This is where, I think, some of Raymond's critics have gone wrong, they assume an attack rather than an attempt at clarification, understanding and faithful adherence to the faith of the Church as it has always been taught.  

The Spirit Of Mother

Many of us believe Mother Angelica is now a saint in heaven. Perhaps in the not too distant future a formal process will begin to investigate that and many millions of people around the world will welcome and support that process. But as the Church is cautious in this regard, and rightly so, so too EWTN. However, whatever will happen there, the Network will seek to remain faithful to the spirit and mission of its foundress. It will continue to proclaim the truth of the Catholic faith as it has always been taught, as taught in the Catechism and in the magisterium. That faith has not changed though our understanding has deepened in order to help us live it more faithfully and effectively. Having brought this work into being and suffered to maintain it in fidelity to the truth, Mother Angelica, I have no doubt, will continue to watch over the Network and its mission. Those who work tirelessly in Irondale, Alabama and other places around the world will continue their work as an act of love for Christ, his Church and Mother Angelica. This is just another row and the Network has had many of them and will probably have many more. 

EWTN is not interested in 'total war', it just wants to continue the work of evangelisation in the Church and the world in obedience to Christ in the spirit of Mother Angelica of the Annunciation. Her charism enlivens the Network and through it God guides ordinary men and women to proclaim the splendour of the faith.  Raymond is doing this, as are Fr Murray and Dr Royal, as are the other onscreen servants of the mission and the numerous people working behind the scenes. The call for a interdict is not just an attack on Raymond and the Network, it is also an affront to ordinary men and women who are motivated by their Christian faith to serve the mission of the Church, many of whom are converts to the Catholic faith, and some of them won for Christ by Mother Angelica herself. Let us hope that tweet was just a moment of madness which is best forgotten.

On this feast of the Chair of St Peter, let us pray:

Almighty God,

as you built your Church on the rock of Peter's faith,

grant that with such a firm foundation

we may hold fast in every storm.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God forever and ever.

Amen.