News Coverage of Pope John Paul II*

David Shaw’s article on the Pope’s bad press (“Missing the Message of the Pope,” April 16) misses the message of the press. What drives secular media coverage of the Pope in this country is not just issues that concern Americans but more specifically those that concern American Catholics.

It may be true that the journalists understand little of religion, but Shaw understands little of the complex relationship of Catholics to their church and the manner in which they have learned to use the public media to air their grievances. Shaw’s elitist and simplistic coverage ignores the deep divisions within the church itself and the lack of any internal forums for airing those divisions.

Recognizing the authoritarian structure of the Catholic Church, the media have traditionally deferred to the positions of the hierarchy regarding internal disputes. The last 40 years, however, have witnessed a dramatic change in this policy as Catholics have gone public in airing their complaints.

Always uncomfortable with such exposure, the hierarchy has retaliated with a campaign calling any public criticism of church policy “Catholic bashing.” In a free and democratic society, all institutions are fair game for debate and controversy, especially those institutions in which freedom of expression is as limited as in the Catholic Church.

WILLIAM H. DuBAY Costa Mesa DuBay is a former Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was suspended from the priesthood in 1966 on the publication of his book, “The Human Church,” which discussed the political structure of the Catholic Church.

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Thank you very much for the thoughtful article. It confirms what we have long been aware of.

However, we Catholics in our daily lives do not dwell on the theological issues discussed. Our faith centers on the unconditional love of God and the ways in which we can share it while dealing with diverse circumstances. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful Pope to help guide us in our relationship to God.

FRANCES FLOWER Chatsworth *

According to Shaw, the media fixates on the Pope’s opposition to birth control because “sex sells.” He suggests a more reasoned appraisal would cast the Holy See in a better light. I doubt it.

The greatest problem facing the world today is its runaway overpopulation. The Earth now supports more than 5.5 billion people--tries to support them--with an average growth rate of 170 births per minute. The problem is most critical in Third World countries, where starvation is epidemic. Birth control offers a simple, humane solution, but Pope John Paul II opposes this simple measure, a mistake so enormous that it threatens to eclipse all the good he’s done elsewhere.

Excessive coverage? I don’t think so. We haven’t talked about birth control enough.

TERRY BLACK Costa Mesa *

Regarding Shaw’s series (April 16-19): Yes, the media is finally catching on! Pope John Paul II has something to say, and he’s been saying it for years. He speaks truth--a commodity in our society which is neither valued nor respected. Go, J.P., go!

TERI SEIPEL Riverside *

Regarding your April 19 article: It was something akin to eating a fine meal in a first-class restaurant and being served Twinkies for dessert. Including Catholics for a Free Choice and the utterances of its spokesperson did no service to your readers. It is not a movement of any substance but a person with a fax machine and no membership (Frances Kissling’s own words). With that exception we found the articles to be well written, fair and objective.

JEAN McGRAW Fullerton *

Religions are concerned with spiritual matters that are subjective, personal, and private. One need have no proof or justification for his spiritual beliefs because no one has the right to presume to judge the validity of those beliefs. Unless the beliefs lead to antisocial behavior, it is all between the person and his God.

Antisocial behavior is the rightful business of society and objective criteria must be applied in the public arena. These standards of behavior are a man-to-man concern and are what we call morality.

The Pope and other “true believers” mix morality, a man-to-man concern, with spirituality, a man-to-God concern. They seek the authority of the state to force their religion on everyone. This is religious tyranny. The extent to which they are successful is the extent to which peace and harmony will continue to elude us.

TIMOTHY F. TRAVIS Mission Viejo