The press and media work of the pontiff hakt

adminonDecember 22, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

The press and media work of the pontiff hakt

In the communication machinery of the communicator Francis it creaks – once again. There has been repeated speculation that some heads in the largest dicastery will soon be replaced. But made. So fast it probably does not go.

Paolo Ruffini, the only non-priest in the line of prefects otherwise mostly clothed in cardinal's purple, had on 16. January an audience with the Holy Father. This does not happen as often as with his colleagues Marc Ouellet (bishops) and Luis Ladaria (doctrine of the faith). But other heads of authorities are not invited more often officially to the pope. But the fact that Ruffini had an appointment this time caused murmurs. Why?

Correspondents sigh more often in view of the public relations in the Vatican. The last time this happened particularly loudly was at the end of October in light of the breakdown with the documentary "Francesco" by Russian-American director Yevgeny Afineyevsky. In it, the pontiff allegedly spoke out in favor of the legal recognition of homosexual unions – which in retrospect turned out to be a dishonest montage by the director from third-party material.

Stupidly only that the Vatican had announced the film and an award to the director before favorably. The Vatican communication was not allowed to express itself afterwards – on instruction from completely above, as it was said. Since then Ruffini was considered somehow ticked off. His predecessor Dario Vigano – no relation to the ex-nuntius of the same surname – had been shocked by manipulated photos of a letter from Benedict XVI. stumbled.

Popular mission in sports newspaper

The year 2021 then began with a media pope fireworks: on 2. January big interview with Italy's biggest sports newspaper "Gazzetta dello Sport. Then a cover story in "Vanity Fair", followed by a special in "Vogue". And on 10. January, Sunday evenings at prime time, an exclusive interview and documentary on Canale 5, the flagship of Italian private television. So far so good…

What was not so good was that these fireworks were only partially set off by Ruffini's communications office. Accompanying comments in the magazines of Vatican News editorial director Andrea Tornielli as well as Antonio Spadaro – "His Holiness' Voice" and editor-in-chief of the Jesuit magazine "Civilita Cattolica" – were, however, an indication that the responsible communication machinery was at least aware of these actions.

However, not with the "Gazzetta dello Sport". Vatican media did not even pick up the Pope's interview in the mass journal of sports-loving Italians. This was organized, it is said, by the Pope's favorite interviewer, a prison chaplain from Padua. Don Marco Pozza had already asked Francis about the Lord's Prayer, and later about the Hail Mary and the Creed – all in the style of a popular missionary, just as Francis himself likes to speak.

Dissatisfaction is mutual

For the TV interview with "Canale 5", finally, Francis is said to have invited himself to Santa Maria through intermediaries. Filmed there with the equipment of the transmitter, Francis critic Sandro Magister knows in its Blog "Settimo Cielo" to report. Otherwise, foreign journalists have to work with cameramen and equipment of the Vatican Television Center CTV – and get the material already "pre-sorted".

Experienced Mexican Vatican correspondent Valentina Alazraki, for example, who interviewed Francis for an hour in 2019, got her footage from Vatican Media without Francis' sentences on homosexual unions, but they appeared re-cut together in the documentary "Franceso". Director Afinejewski had been given free access to the archive by the communications dicastery.

Most recently, some speculated Ruffini and Tornielli were due. "At the top" one is dissatisfied with the fact that they do not sufficiently support the proclamation offensives of the pontiff. But this is probably too far. And if there is papal dissatisfaction with the communications authority, it is mutual.

For professional press and media work some air upwards

Francis' bad habit of deciding and organizing things bypassing his responsible staff is also causing sighs in the press room and Vatican media. Very happy to inform correspondents about contributions, greetings and statements by the pope, "if we knew about it in advance".

It is difficult to say whether the Pope's appointments, which have recently been announced more and more sparsely and at shorter notice, are due to the vagaries of the pandemic or to a new "strategy" of the Pope. It is true that Francis has shed the media shyness of Jorge Bergoglio. But for a professional press and media relations there is some room for improvement both in Santa Marta and in the Communications Dicastery and Secretariat of State, which decides a lot of things. One measure would be more frequent meetings between pope and communications chief.

The list of accusations against Bishop Zanchetta is long, in addition to sexual abuse, he must also answer for fraud and embezzlement. Just last Monday, the judiciary sentenced clergymen for abuse.

The suspended Argentine Curia Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who is under investigation in his homeland for embezzlement and allegations of sexual abuse, will face a first hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, by the competent judiciary in the Argentine province of Salta. This was said by his Spanish lawyer Javier Belda Iniesta, according to the daily newspaper "Pagina 12".

Zanchetta, who was appointed bishop of Oran by Pope Francis in 2013, has most recently faced allegations of sexual abuse from two seminary students. Other seminary students accuse their former bishop of assaultive behavior. Only two weeks ago, the offices of the diocese of Oran in northern Argentina were searched by the police. Zanchetta faces charges of fraud and embezzlement from 2013 to 2017.

Pope brought Zanchetta to Rome

In 2017, the bishop had offered his resignation to the pope, reportedly for health reasons. Some time later, Francis, who had friendly relations with Zanchetta when he was archbishop in Argentina, brought him to Rome to a post at the Vatican's asset management agency APSA.

According to the U.S. church portal "Crux," proceedings have been underway since the beginning of the year in the Vatican against Zanchetta, who has been relieved of his duties until further notice. However, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of the trial, will wait for the results of the prosecutorial investigation in Argentina before making its judgment.

In his home country, Zanchetta is accused of embezzling around 250.000 U.S. dollars (converted according to the exchange rate at the time) accused of fraud. The money from the provincial government was requested for the restoration of a rectory and a series of lectures at the local seminary, both of which never took place.

Long prison sentences for Argentine clergy for abuse

The judiciary in Argentina last Monday sentenced two Catholic clergymen to prison terms of 42 and 45 years for serious sexual abuse of disabled children. Another employee of the children's home in the province of Mendoza was sentenced to 18 years in prison. In total, the judges charged the three convicts with 25 cases of serious abuse at the Antonio Provolo Institute.

Investigations by investigative authorities began after a former student at the special school, now 19, made serious allegations against one of the two clergymen in 2016. The latter is said to have sexually abused the victim as early as the age of five.

It has clearly become quieter around the topic of sexual abuse. But now it is again pushing with power on the agenda. A day after the Jesuits' final report, the federal government unveiled a new nationwide hotline for abuse victims.

Victims of sexual abuse have been able to call the hotline since Friday (28).05.2010) seek advice and help from a telephone counseling service set up by the federal government. The federal government's commissioner for abuse, Christine Bergmann, launched the telephone helpline in Berlin. A total of 65 experts take the calls of those affected or their relatives.At present the telephone is switched on 30 hours per week, so Bergmann further. But depending on demand, counseling hours could be extended or shortened. Bergmann pointed out that she had taken into account the experience of the Catholic Church's hotline when setting up the contact point. Abuse commissioners also launch their own homepage this afternoon. The contact point should give those affected the opportunity to talk about the injustice done to them, according to the abuse commissioner. Their reports, all of which would be treated anonymously, should help formulate concrete demands to politicians. The experts are supposed to refer callers to further help, but they do not provide therapeutic or legal advice themselves, Bergmann said. The office of the government commissioner was created in March after hundreds of cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents in church and other educational institutions became known. So far, she has received about 500 reports by mail, and just as many by e-mail, the former federal family minister said. More men than women have come forward. Most were abused in institutions, especially those of the Catholic Church, Bergmann says. On the basis of the accounts heard so far, she is already pleading for serious consideration of lifting the statutes of limitations. The Ulm physician Jorg M. Fegert, who evaluates the calls scientifically, said the contact point offers the socially unique chance to ask those affected and to make a political difference. But none of the callers was questioned. He announced that initial experiences would be reported in August.

Experiences of the Bishops' Conference With regard to the church hotline, the German Bishops' Conference speaks of a huge wave of callers, which is now slowly leveling off to the previously expected normal level. According to Andreas Zimmer, head of the counseling services division at the diocese of Trier, more than 20 have so far been.000 calls registered. 6.000 people would have sought contact; there were more than 2.200 counseling sessions and another 160 online counseling sessions. Exact figures on how many of the callers were victims of mistreatment or sexual abuse in church institutions are not yet available. "Initially, an estimated three-quarters of callers were victims or their relatives," Zimmer estimates. In the course of the past few weeks, however, the number of joke calls and general complaints about the church has increased sharply. In the meantime, the number of calls is also dropping significantly: while the advisers took around 200 calls per four-hour shift in the first few weeks, the number is now down to 20 to 30.

Clarification among Jesuits Further clarification on the subject of abuse was provided by the Jesuits: The provincial of the German Jesuits, Father Stefan Dartmann, presented the final report on the abuse cases in the order in Munich on Thursday – together with the abuse commissioner Ursula Raue. The "Corner Table," created in reference to the German government's "Round Tables," of former students of Germany's four Jesuit high schools, is scheduled to meet Saturday in Berlin with representatives of Jesuit. Among others, Provincial Dartmann will be present from the side of the Order, as well as his designated successor Stefan Kiechle and the rectors of the Berlin Canisius College, Klaus Mertes, and of the College of Saint Blasien, Johannes Siebner.

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