On 29th December last, an article appeared in the Irish Daily Mail by Emma Jane Hade, under the heading ‘Josepha Madigan says her faith is ‘strong’ despite her liberal politics’.
It is interesting to look at this article as an example of how the main stream media uses propaganda to influence public opinion in Ireland. The article tells us that Josepha is a ‘devout Catholic’ with a strong Catholic faith. We also learn that Josepha led the successful campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum last May, which vote has led to the direct and intentional killing of innocent human beings, and that she introduced a private member’s bill into the Dáil to make getting a divorce easier and that this will be voted on in a referendum later this year. We learn that one of Josepha’s sisters died and that her father also died. Josepha also says that she was invited to attend the New Year’s day Mass for peace by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and that the two of them share a good relationship.
It would seem that the whole purpose of this piece of trash ‘journalism’ is to show people that one can be a ‘devout’ Catholic whilst at the same time supporting divorce and abortion legislation. One can also remain on good terms with one’s bishop and get an invite to attend a special Mass along with the pro-abortion President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, and our pro-abortion Taoiseach Leo Varadker who were also expected to attend the New Year’s day Mass, according to at least one Dublin parish newsletter.
A devout Catholic is one who fully upholds Catholic moral teaching; on human sexuality; on the absolute illegality of killing innocent human beings; and on the prohibition of divorce. It is impossible for Josepha to be a devout Catholic because she does not believe what the Catholic church teaches on these important matters. Her beliefs are at variance with Catholic teaching therefore she is not a devout Catholic. She has also co-operated in a campaign that directly leads to the killing of innocent human beings.
The Catholic Church teaches that direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law and that formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense to which the Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life. (CCC 2271 – 2272)
Josepha may indeed have a strong faith, but it is not the Catholic faith that she professes, and the public promotion of her views without these qualifying remarks represents a threat to the Catholic faith of others.
The article uses the fact that Josepha claims to have received an invitation to attend Holy Mass from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, to re-emphasize the point that there are no sanctions for being Catholic and pro-abortion. One must also wonder why the Catholic Primate of Ireland is inviting people who have directly and publicly co-operated in abortion to Holy Mass without publicly inviting them to repent of their sins first. One wonders if the Archbishop would refuse Holy Communion to these pro-abortion politicians in accordance with Canon 915 of the code of Canon Law which states “Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.”
This article clearly indicates that Josepha is obstinate in her erroneous views on both the killing of innocent human beings and on divorce.
The article also uses the ‘sympathy factor’ to sway public opinion by telling us that Josepha has suffered the loss of a sister and her father in recent years. These are very sad and emotional events in anyone’s life, but they are of no relevance to the fact the Josepha contradicts doctrinal Catholic teaching on killing innocent human beings and on the indissolubility of marriage. So why are we told about these sad events if they have nothing to do with the matter in question? This is how modern day Irish journalism works. Forget about the Truth and the Facts and use emotions to drive public opinion in the direction favoured by the owners and financiers attached to these media outlets. The government uses the national broadcaster RTE, to similar effect.
Catholics need to be aware of what is going on and to stop reading and buying these vehicles for anti-Catholic propaganda. Buy extra copies of the Catholic Voice newspaper instead and leave them where people will find them so that we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.
