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Dear Reader,
Everywhere I go these days, people thank me for my stories on the Eternal Word Television
Network (EWTN). The four-part series ran this past July, but it has "had legs,"
as we say in the business, meaning continued relevance long after publication.
My editors asked me to dig into EWTN, because as the largest religious media network
in the world, it is highly influential in shaping the global Catholic narrative.
Increasingly, EWTN is doing that in a partisan and, what some might say, bordering-on-schismatic
way.
The series of articles [[link removed]]
in July explored the network's connections to Republican politicians and the Trump
White House as well as to conservative Catholic donors and some of the most public
anti-Pope Francis folks in the Catholic world.
To research the story, I interviewed experts and insiders, analyzed tax documents,
and read books and articles about my subject. But since it is a television station,
I also watched many hours of EWTN, including past episodes of EWTN founder Mother
Angelica's program, "Mother Angelica Live" and EWTN's news shows, including its
weekly magazine "The World Over" with host Raymond Arroyo.
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That kind of in-depth research takes time--and money. But thanks to our members,
who generously pledge monthly support to independent Catholic journalism, I was
given the freedom to do these stories well.
Will you join us as a member during the Fall Member Drive [[link removed]]?
One of the current talking points on "The World Over" is of a so-called "false narrative"
about the influence of conservative Catholic money on the church, including opposition
to Pope Francis.
But that narrative is anything but false, as revealed by NCR's investigative pieces
into the Knights of Columbus [[link removed]],
The Catholic University of America [[link removed]],
the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) [[link removed]],
the U.K. Catholic Herald [[link removed]]
and EWTN. Our editor-in-chief summarized the phenomenon in a cover story [[link removed]]
almost two years ago.
A few weeks ago Arroyo began his show with a "doth protest too much" commentary
against a "string of lazy articles" by "so-called journalists" that portray a "cabal"
of wealthy conservative Catholics "determined to take down Pope Francis."
Last spring, EWTN guest George Weigel similarly complained that this "utter nonsense"
is believed by many of the most influential personalities in the present pontificate"
and by "leading churchmen around the world."
Good. I'm heartened to hear that NCR's revelatory reporting is reaching such high
levels in our church. Thanks to our members, we can continue to do this important,
investigative work. Will you join us today [[link removed]]?
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Sincerely,
Heidi Schlumpf
National Correspondent
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P.S. Help us reach our goal of 150 new members during our Fall Member Drive!
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