Church Militant's The Download is New Coke

Anyone who has followed my blog knows I support Church Militant and I am a big fan of their programming. The first thing I do each morning when getting online is go to CM-before any other site- and watch the latest Vortex episode. My day always begins with Church Militant. 

My three favorite programs Church Militant has ever done are the 'One True Faith' series, the 'Case Files' series by Simon Rafe and the old 'Download' show. 

Last summer the Download went off the air and didn't come back until yesterday because CM was doing extensive construction and remodeling work. I couldn't wait to have The Download back.

I was so very disappointed when I tuned in because The Download I loved was gone. What it was replaced by had none of the charm of the original. We had original Coke and what CM gave us yesterday was New Coke- from the comments on CM's website and their Youtube Channel I wasn't alone in my feelings. 

I'm not only sad for myself but also for the people at CM because I know they all worked so hard and they were excited about what they were doing. Everyone wanted it to be great, but its not.

I didn't like anything about the new Download. I hated it and I want to talk about why I hated it today. 

I am a news hound. I watch too many hours of secular news every day. I watch local news, Fox News, MSNBC and even some CNN to hear what everyone is saying about what is happening in the world. 

When I tune into Church Militant the last thing I want is to be brought back to secular news. I want something above that. I want something steeped in Catholicism. I want not only what I hear to draw me into my Faith, I want what I see to do the same. I want to be pulled out of the secular world and planted firmly back into the Catholic world. The way a beautiful old Catholic church rich in stained glass and art is always worlds above a modern church that has nothing visual to offer its people. Church Militant's The Download used to do that for me. 

I want to start with the music. Oh how I miss the old music! The old show used to begin at 1 pm so I would typically go to CM about 10 minutes before the show and listen to their music leading up to the show. During this time I would make my tea, read some mail etc, always keeping my ear to the music playing because that spoke to me. I knew exactly when the show would start because the music changed. I would put down the mail, grab my mug of tea and settle in to watch The Download just as Christine Niles would appear on screen giving me the Catholic news headlines. I adored my ritual and getting the news headlines from Christine before we all settled in to a one topic discussion on The Download. 

You might think I am being dramatic, but I miss that. This was an important part of my day, a daily ritual for me that I have truly missed. Yesterday I was so happy to get back to my ritual I couldn't wait for 1:30 pm (new time slot) to get here. I was crushed when the music was gone. I had been missing that...more than I knew. It never occurred to me that CM would change the music leading up to the show and I was terribly disappointed because my ritual was ruined and gone. Then the show appeared and I was heartbroken. 

CM's The Download used to be filmed inside their "Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Studio" complete with the spectacular large St. Michael statue and the soothing colors of blues and purples - to me and others who also mentioned this in CM's comments, Mary and Jesus colors. The tone and feel was not at all like mainstream secular media and that was a very good thing. The table CM's hosts sat behind was inviting and calming. It was like they were sitting across the table from me, talking to me about a Catholic topic-one topic so the discussion was in depth and I learned from it. Even if the topic was tragic, the people and the setting were calming to me-we were in this together-sort of thing. I was engaged, charmed and I wanted the discussion to go on for hours while I drank my tea. Most days when the show ended I would get a refill of my tea and watch the show all over again. This was my must see show every day and I am completely heartbroken its gone.  

The Download January 14, 2019

The new studio that the people at Church Militant refer to as "the pit" is not charming, it's off putting. 

The Download January 14, 2020

The Download went from an inviting room where I felt welcome to sit down and join in, to a vast warehouse stuffed with wires, blaring lights, distracting secular media screens and a ticker. The tiny bar stool type table is the same one shown on MSNBC! And I hate it.

They went from Catholic to secular. I am stunned. I honestly can't believe CM did this. I can't believe no one at CM saw the problems with this. 

As one person commented on CM's Download yesterday, there is no way Michael is going to dance on the new table like he did election night in 2016. 

And the problems aren't just the visual and music, its the content too. The greatness of the one topic Download's of the past where one topic is discussed in depth has been tossed out the window and replaced by multiple topics mentioned in passing because time is ticking. No deep discussions, no thoughtful reflections because there is no time for those things anymore. 

They've morphed the Download into a sort of 30 minute evening news show and it stinks. I'm all for CM doing that sort of thing if they want to, but it should have been done with Christine Niles' headline news, not The Download show. 

I can't say enough how very disappointed I am with everything CM has done. I miss the old music, I miss the Fulton Sheen studio, I miss the long in depth discussions, I miss Simon Rafe, I miss having four people at the table rather than three on bar stools. 

Church Militant made some huge unfortunate mistakes this time. I pray and truly hope they ditch "the pit" and bring back the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen studio we all loved so much. 

Chalk it up as a mistake and return to what people fell in love with about the show. You don't need to fix what ain't broken. Ditch the New Coke and please, please give us back old Coke!

I'm praying CM listens to their supporters.

In Christ,

Julie 

The Church Militant Victory dance

David took down Goliath (again) tonight! 

Thank you Jesus!  It was by Divine Intervention that Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and is now our President-Elect! 


Gotta give a shout out to the great folks over at Church Militant for their wonderful coverage this entire election night- and the best part of the night (or at this point- morning)...

Michael Voris' promise to dance on the Download set table if Trump won. 

Never in my life would I have thought of seeing this! ;)

Dancing Mike Gif: http://www.churchmilitant.com/ 

God blessed America this election and saved us from the evil of a Hillary Clinton presidency.  Thank you God! 


In Christ and super tired, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

Catholic bloggers get chastised by Church Militant

The pope spoke from his heart (A.K.A. "off-the-cuff" as opposed to pre-approved Vatican speeches) on a plane, and the usual chaos, confusion and mayhem ensued. From apologizing to gays for "offending them" with the faith, to calling priests "animals" the chaos continues. 

Most Catholics are used to this by now, we don't like it, but it is to be expected coming from Francis.  No surprise, just disappointment.

So Catholic media outlets (clergy and laity) opine their opinions, thoughts and feelings on what Francis has just said or done.  That's the point of opinion editorials, blogs, etc. 

For example: 

1) EWTN National Catholic Register (Msgr. Charles Pope): One Priest’s Concern About Recent Remarks by the Pope (*recommend)

2) LifeSiteNews: Pope Francis misrepresents the Catechism on homosexuality

3) The Catholic Thing: Francis Fatigue

4) Hilary White: Ho hum… another plane presser, another “SHOCK!! HORROR!!!”

5) Creative Minority Report: Ugh. What Did Pope Francis Say Now?

6) OnePeterFive: Pope Francis Doubles Down on “Who am I to Judge?”

7)  Re-Store DC Catholicism: From The Flighty Interview Department: Pope Says Christians Should Apologize To Gays For Not Coddling Them

8) Vox Cantoris: Jorge Bergoglio - You are a malefactor and unfit as Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for what it is worth, I denounce you!

9) Catholic Family News (J.Vennari): The Last Straw: Pope Says Christians should apologize for helping to marginalize gays

10) And my own post: Pope Francis on another plane answering questions...what could go wrong?

Today Church Militant has decided to teach us all a lesson in the First Cardinal Virtue: Prudence.  (*Note: No Catholic blog/website was called out by name by anyone on the panel*)  And to be clear about where I stand with Church Militant, I absolutely love CM's The Download and I respect the folks at Church Militant even when I disagree with them. Today is just one of those days. 

The first part of their show was very good, it was at about the 9:00 mark that things changed.  Christine Niles began by pointing out how lacking so many Catholic bloggers and Catholic website owners are in prudence because we don't wait (like CM) for the Vatican to clear up and clean up Pope Francis' statements.  

She says "there is a lot of zeal out there, but very little prudence" and "these Catholics are totally lacking in prudence"..."they don't wait until the dust settles to see, well does the pope change what he...correct himself", though she made it clear she believes we are "orthodox Catholics" and we "care about the Faith".  Michael excuses the pope by saying "he's a man and can make all kinds of goofs". 

Really Michael, "goofs"?  :/ 

The panel then moved on to question Catholic bloggers, asking what is your goal in having a blog?  They say they assume Catholic bloggers blog to share the Faith, but they question some Catholic bloggers intent because we "place doubt" in peoples minds about the pope. 

Some do have blogs to share the Faith.  Others just want to share thoughts and opinions on things- including the pope.  And still others just want to vent and there are probably many other reasons a Catholic creates a Catholic blog. 

Personally, I created this blog to battle the lies told about the Catholic Church and the Faith (see HERE and HERE and HERE).  Because I was a convert and once believe these falsehoods I wanted to be a voice out there telling people (protestants mostly because I came out of that) the Truth.  

And I think I still do that, but what I didn't expect when I began this blog was that I would be continually scandalized by Catholic clergy!  So my blog expanded to not only share the Catholic faith, but also to point out the errors that some clergy were clearly promoting (see HERE and HERE and HERE). 

Now here is where the irony sets in.  This is exactly what Michael Voris went through when he began his apostolate!  He's told the story many times.  Voris started out wanting to share the Catholic faith and teach people, but quickly he discovered corruption and errors and generally a mess inside the Church, so his apostolate evolved to exposing these stories- hence his motto "The Vortex where lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed".  

So while CM refuses to publicly criticize a sitting pope (I respect their right to draw the line for their apostolate where ever they want) many other Catholic media outlets and blogs don't hold that same view. 

And for that, I guess we are labelled "totally lacking in prudence". 

If that is CM's opinion, that is fine with me.  We see things differently when it comes to the pope. 

In fact, I would say it is Pope Francis who needs the lesson in prudence... 

2088 The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith:Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness. [Catholic Catechism]

I guess you could say I also take my cues from some very wonderful Saints in the Church, like St. Robert Bellarmine.   

I honestly believe Pope Francis (and yes, as Hilary White wrote at The Remnant, he is our valid pope unless a future pope says differently: more on that HERE) is "a Ponfiff who attacks the body" and is in fact trying "to destroy the Church" with his bizarre proclamations- I really don't think I need to list them again.  I believe what Francis truly believes and thinks is what we get when he speaks "off-the-cuff", everything else is pre-written and pre-approved by the Vatican for him to say to make sure he says something authentic and orthodox.

That said, I want to be clear, I do NOT like having these thoughts, opinions and views on the pope.  I hate it. I want so much to love and trust this pope, but I do not.  And the sad truth is, I didn't from the moment he walked out on the balcony.  I knew nothing about him at all, but felt...something wrong from day one- my friends were very upset with me for daring to voice my unease about this pope- but that is another story for another time.  That first Holy Week, and those that followed, just reaffirmed my discontent with this pope and it continues today. 

I pray for the pope and I hope that one day I won't feel like this, but right now I do.  And I will use my Catholic blog to share not only the authentic Catholic Faith, but also my opinions and feelings on this (and any other) pope- even if that makes me "totally lacking in prudence". 

May God bless us all and give us strength.



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 



Catholic Catechism: Prudence

1788 To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going." 65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers." 66 Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. 67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

1834 The human virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and the will that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our conduct in accordance with reason and faith. They can be grouped around the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

1835 Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it.


Church Militant's The Download link: http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/down-2016-06-27