Vatican Blog Meeting 2011; what I really thought…

… I’m sure you all dying to know, especially since comments I made were misconstrued as criticism. Criticism isn’t always a negative thing and can serve a constructive purpose. I think by “criticism”, they were referring to my comments about the insignificance of bloggers. I was honest. In interviews I gave for CNA, SQPN and Vatican Radio I reiterated the same sentiment.

Blogging is a source of ego. It’s the printed opinion. The phrase should be “blogs are like assholes, everybody has one.”

Blogging as a source of evangelization runs the risk of becoming little private sects with our thier magisterium, liturgically policing and critiquing. If you are going to blog about how your mass is superior to mine then might as well be a protestant. And while I’m at, where is your obedience? Or humility for that matter? Yes. I said this.

I made one exception, for those religious bloggers who through their writings reveal the very real and human side of sacrificing one’s life to Christ. I believe theirs have the power of conversion and to increase vocations. The rest of us have hungry egos and insatiable senses of self importance that need to be fed.

I praised the Vatican’s efforts for bringing us all together. Archbishop Claudio Celi, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Richard Rouse of the Pontifical Council on Culture did an excellent job. There were the usual complaints about the lack of topic but this is easily overlooked by the fact that this was their first attempt at understanding the power of blogs and social media.

Sticky questions were asked, but after 4 hours of speakers the panel ran out of time to address them. Maybe next time.

I also congratulated Mr. Rouse on his splendid publicity campaign, though they swear it wasn’t a publicity stunt. Whether inadvertently or not, it was a brilliant way to launch their new website, www.news.va. Let’s get this amazing new website together converging all modes of social networking and present it to a room full of bloggers. I wasn’t 4 seconds out the door before the news was on every major Catholic outlet. Brilliant.

I was honored to be invited, even if the invitation was extended through no merit of mine own but because readers wrote in; as I was repeatedly reminded and have no doubt that it was the case. Whatever brought me there, I was thrilled to be in attendance none the less.

Admittedly I was drained of the topic after 2 days. Bloggers are the heroes of the Church and defenders of Truth. We do such an amazing good. I wanted to ask if this good ever extended outside the computer monitor or in humbling acts of obedience. There is only so much of myself I can talk about.

I guess I have the luxury of honesty because my goal at blogging is not cross over journalism and for pay writing. Does that make me an honest whore?