The Famous Anti-Catholicism of the New York Times

Ah yes, the famous anti-Catholicism of the New York Times.  In fact, I was just speaking with someone about that topic today, a person convinced that the New York Times has it out for, or in for, the Catholic Church.  Its supposed bias is thought to contribute to the paper’s relentless coverage of the sex abuse crisis.  Several Catholics I know refer to it as the Summa Contra Gentiles.

In that case, it’s very hard to explain today’s paper, which includes, in the Metro section, no less than three entirely laudatory articles specifically about Catholicism. The first is this somewhat bemused piece about the writer Pete Hamill receiving, after many years and after having dropped out, his diploma from the Jesuit-run Regis High School in New York.  “The Jesuits believe in taking their time on the big decisions,” said Hamill.  The second is an inspiring piece about a possible new saint, Msgr. Bernard J. Quinn, from Brooklyn.  Msgr. Quinn worked with African-American Catholics and advocated on their behalf when that was a distinctly unpopular position, even among his brother priests.  Finally, the moving story of an elderly nun, Sister Mary Celine, of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Hearts of Mary, who was tragically killed by a speeding minivan fleeing a crime. The story focuses on her beautiful life.  “Inside the convent,” writes the Times reporter, “at 15 West 124th Street, the remnants of Sister Mary Celine’s life were there for all to see. Less obvious but perhaps more telling was the lasting impression she left with the generations of children she had taught and mentored.”  Stop the anti-Catholic rhetoric!  She’s pictured above, in that obviously anti-Catholic portrait.

The next time someone tells you that the New York Times is a hotbed of anti-Catholicism, you might pull out today’s paper.