Father James Martin, America Magazine‘s editor-at-large, has been appointed by Pope Francis as a consultant to the Vatican’s department for communications — a job that includes manning the Vatican radio, website, tv, and popular papal twitter handle. [CCD editor’s note: as this is not a full-time position, Fr. Martin has said he will be staying in New York with America media]
Father Martin is a controversial figure in the American Church, often expressing strong liberal views on his public social media accounts (even when they contradict Church teaching).
Story from Catholic Vote.
- “I’m very happy to serve the church in this new way,” Father Martin said upon learning of the appointment.
- “I learned of the news early this morning, when Josh McElwee of The National Catholic Reporter and Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service contacted me via Twitter to congratulate me. And given the importance of social media in the church today, that’s a good way to find out good news.”
- The secretariat is responsible for Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre as well as the Holy See’s website and the pope’s Twitter handle, @Pontifex.
From America Magazine.
The Vatican’s Secretariat for Communications, the office Martin will be working with, runs the pope’s official Twitter account, Vatican radio and TV, and the Holy See’s website.
Michael Warsaw, EWTN’s Chairman of the Board, was appointed as a consultor to the Secretariat for Communications. So were another Jesuit and Dominican priest, several other priests, and faculty of Pontifical universities.
Dr. Dino Cataldo Dell’Accio, Chief ICT Auditor at the United Nations, will also be a consultor to the Vatican communications office.
From LifeSiteNews.
Tweets from Father James Martin:
(above images from Twitter)
Story updated 4/13
Wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Just a wolf.
Let us pray that the situation of “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” in top Church leadership, and their many “wolf-type” helpers— will not last long! May Christ purify His flock, and send us good leaders!
Well, surprise, surprise! Not really. Birds of a feather…
Perfect photo illustrating the story.
That smile…
I think I’ll send my children to a Jesuit school. Wait a minute – the whole Church has turned into a Jesuit school!
This article is, in my opinion, very unclear. Does Fr. Martin’s charge include the Pope’s communication worldwide or only the United States?
This story is not complete. In addition, the Chairman of the Board of EWTN was also appointed at the same time. Others referred to the appointments as a progressive and known conservative. They are both experts in communication strategy development. The communications consultants also include Bishops and other clergy from around the world. I suspect that the writer of this article was deliberate in his/her efforts to distort the news.
Thank you. The story has been updated.
“They are both experts in communication *strategy* development. The communications consultants also include Bishops and other clergy from around the world.” = Strategy = *Machinations*, do not fool God!
This is great news. Father Martin is an excellent communicator. Loved his book on Jesus.
And Judas was an excellent fundraiser!
This may be “great news” but this is not Good News. Sad for you that you prefer a book about Jesus written by this man which “tickles your ears” rather than loving Jesus Himself and making disciples of His instead of creating scandal.
Would you expect less from a Jesuit Pope? What does the National Catholic Register have to say about this appointment?
Another liberal Jesuit. May God intervene soon to end this horrible papacy.
Just one more action of Pope Francis to demonstrate that he is not interested in preserving and defending the Catholic faith, but in seeing to his own agenda which is tearing apart and splitting the Church. He has just about ruined the John Paul II Institute on the Family with the appointment of Archbishop Paglia, and the removal of all orthodox members. May God bring this papacy to an end soon-
“By their fruits you will know them”. Satan has definitely hijacked Christ’s Church with his bastardized false church. And now all forms of evil will be celebrated in the name of false mercy. May God help us.
The over reactions by some of the posters above is nauseating. Really…calling for the end of Pope Francis’ tenure as pope? Ridiculous!
A perfect photo composite of the Cheshire Cat and the Cat that Ate the Canary. Well done CC. Only, there should be feathers . . . yes, scattered feathers.
Here’s another:
https://larmic.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/cat-ate-the-canary.png
The liberals of today, are far too young, immature, inexperienced, unrealistic, and rebellious in their thinking! What they need most, is to submit to Christ, and to His religious and moral training– and to CAREFULLY LISTEN AND DO AS HE SAYS!! YES, we must love and help the “LGBTs!” But what else does God say?? He says, that we must lead a good life, and practice PURITY OF HEART, Chastity! Some people have disabilities, and serious medical conditions, preventing them from the Sacrament of Matrimony!! In that case— Christ calls you to something special — CHASTITY!!— Both Christian Marriage and celibacy, are a preparation for—HEAVEN!!
Revolution is all that matters to the Jesuits. We must strive to keep the Faith as it was handed to us. The Church will survive these extreme left-wing activists.
Modernist Jesuits are a left-wing social justice warriors. From Settimo Celo:
In order to know “what Jesus really said,” the [brand new Venezuelan] general of the Jesuits stated in that interview, it has to be kept in mind that “at that time, no one had a recorder to take down his words. What is known is that the words of Jesus must be contextualized, they are expressed in a language, in a specific setting, they are addressed to someone in particular.” Therefore – he continued – in order to understand what Jesus meant by his saying: “no human being must separate what God has joined together,” it is not enough to stop at the letter, but one needs to “bring [it] into discernment,” as Pope Francis does, without becoming rigid over what in…
Let me see if I’ve got a clear understanding of the issues discussed here. The Pope appoints a number of people to a commission responsible for creating a good communication process for the Vatican. Most of the members are known for their expertise in one form of communications or another, represent lay and hierarchy and others and people express how horrible this is. Obviously, we don’t want to get the word out about Jesus to people who don’t know Him. Heavens, think of all of the people who might show up at Mass! One appointee is a bit “liberal” and the other pretty “conservative.” What could P. Francis have been thinking. Were beside ourselves!
Let’s get a clear understanding: Do you want accurate information about Jesus to get out or do you want an “expert” communicator to portray Our Blessed Lord as just a man who needed to learn from one of His creatures that He must expand His ministry? Heavens, think about all the people who are already learning about “Jesus” thanks to those giant billboards that used to line Hwy 17 telling folks to learn about Jesus in the Koran.
Golly, gee willickers, Bob One, shouldn’t we all just donate to publish more Korans? And why so narrow-minded about mass?! We should celebrate folks going to the Mosque because it’s all about Jesus, no? You really should do some soul searching Bob and maybe “learn” to expand your thinking the way Jesus…
… did. Don’t concern yourself with being a little bit evil…makes it easier to get along. And that’s what it’s all about, no? And we all know that teaching God a lesson is what will really rake ’em in! Taps right into the pride of life and promoting one’s own way of living….but on God’s dime, of course, because He’s just that good.
In Psych 101 we call this transference. It’s someone who takes perverse pleasure in the illicit activities of others in order to vent their own unaddressed desires. It would be most beneficial to hear from a medical professional in order that we may put Fr. Martin’s comments in proper context.