The Media: Off to a Wonderful Start with Benedict XVI

It was predicted that the media wouldn't even give Benedict XVI more than a day or two before the attacks and distortions began. And it's already heating up. Consider this Yahoo story that boldy trumpets "New pope intervened against Kerry in US 2004 election campaign." And then consider the article:

In a June 2004 letter to US bishops enunciating principles of worthiness for communion recipients, Ratzinger specified that strong and open supporters of abortion should be denied the Catholic sacrament, for being guilty of a "grave sin."

He specifically mentioned "the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws," a reference widely understood to mean Democratic candidate Kerry, a Catholic who has defended abortion rights.

The letter said a priest confronted with such a person seeking communion "must refuse to distribute it."

Now that obviously makes the new Pope look like a partisan political type. And if this is what the Pope had actually said, I would agree. However, Yahoo news somehow managed to leave our some important details of the then Cardinal's letter. Let's look at the rest of what he wrote, from "Catholics For Democracy" (a liberal group):

This great news was reported in the "Signs of the Times" in the most recent issue of America Magazine. Spread the word!

"...Two U.S. bishops, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis and Bishop Michael J. Sheridan of Colorado Springs, recently said that Catholics who knowingly vote for pro-abortion politicians would be committing a grave sin.

Cardinal Ratzinger’s note underlined the principles involved for the Catholic voter. “A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia,” Cardinal Ratzinger wrote. “When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons,” he said. In other words, if a Catholic thinks a candidate’s positions on other issues outweigh the difference on abortion, a vote for that candidate would not be considered sinful."

It's like reading a different article, isn't it? But why bother with all the research and facts when you can just choose the words you want and label the Pope according to your own bias.