The Sad State of Southern California Religion Reporting

By Gustavo Arellano Tue., Jan. 6 2009 at 9:59 AM

Categories: Ex Cathedra, Gimme That OC Religion

Pin It

After reading the rewritten press releases offered by the Los Angeles Times, Daily Pilot and Orange County Register on the appointment of the Diocese of Orange's latest pedo-priest-protecting bishop, Cirilo Flores, it's become clear that the worst casualty in Southern California's dying newspaper industry is the religion beat. Not a single report mentioned Flores' role in the rapes of innocents, yet all of them gushed about how Flores has a law degree from Stanford University, mimicking almost sentiment-for-sentiment the Orange diocese's own press release. Well, lah-dee-bleepin'-dah! I don't blame too much the poor reporters assigned to cover the story for each paper for not knowing the dirty details, because none cover religion full-time. And that, dear readers, is both an insult and a threat to ustedes.

I don't think I have to mention that Southern California in general and Orange County in particular is a hive of religious influence in the United States--not just the Warrens, Schullers, and Chuck Smiths, but the Siddiquis, the rabbis, the Zoroastroans. Or that millions of us attend places of faith with some regularity (although yours truly is sticking to the Rosary and the Santo Niño de Atocha until the Diocese of Orange hierarchy crumbles). And yet neither the Times or Register have a full-time religion reporter anymore. Oh, for the glory days (otherwise known as 2005) when both papers not only had full-time religion reporters, but brought in the big boys and girls of their investigative side when warranted. Now? Most any story about Orange County religion in the two papers involve photo moments, press releases, or breaking stories covered by everyone, such as the Cirilo Flores case. Meanwhile, the heavy lifting gets ignored or pounced upon by yellow journalists such as yours truly. You'd think bloggers would step in, but most of the Southern California religious blogs are too narrow in focus, too biased, too apologetic to take a skeptical look at our Gospel Swamp. And that's a damn shame.

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Write Comment

Email to Friend

Print Article

Related Content

B E R N I E = Butt-f'n Enabling Raping Nimrods In Eccelsia
Bernie/Allen: Brown got your tongue? It's been more than 24 hours since you left your claptrap? Put up, or continue to look the fool that you are!
Ciao E Tutti! It is I, a Murdered Pope, blogging again from Heaven, where pedophile serial enabler (27 years worth, and person buddies with pedophile enabler and perpetrator Marciel, founder of the pedophile cult The Legion Of Christ & Regnum Christi) John Paul II, is no where to be found, and certainly no saint. For daily verified & vetted reporting on the global felonies trail of the USCCB (Unremoved Sexual Criminal Cabal Bishops) and the Roman La Cosa Nostra Curia, at tens of billions of laity diverted offetory plate dollars, with no correction, no reform, or no removal of many hundreds of overtly guilty cardinals and bishops, also check out: www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker Remember, the Curia Motto Remains = ISAIAH 28:15! THE SOLUTION? "STOP DONATING LAITY!" as St. Peter Damien correctly asserted. Fiat Lux & Veritas! Albino Luciani, MURDERED POPE, NOT Smiling, From Heaven
Is "BERNIE " Bernard Law?
It is disturbing to accept the fact that the new Auxiliary Bishop Flores will be hearing confessions of trusting persons, while he also practices law to protect the Diocese from future scandals and public scrutiny. Will all the personal and private information Flores obtains be shared with the other legal advisors employed by Bishop Brown, Rullo-Schinderle, Callahan, Sullivan, etc.? A new California Supreme Court decision specifically sets forth that the state cannot regulate "religious doctrine" issues within a Church (www.courtinfo.ca.gov), but courts can rule on issues relating to church property, contracts, etc. So, who is to say that a Bishop, who is also an attorney, will not change hats whenever he sees fit.... to save his and the Diocese's self-serving interests--LABELING ALL DECISIONS AS "CHURCH DOCTRINE". Congrats to Bishop Brown... this is a strategic move to keep law enforcement and government corrective action out of the Diocese of Orange's activities. PARENTS: love your children, hold them close to you, listen to them with your heart, ask questions and demand answers! If you are punished for seeking answers, ask yourself why and run for the hills--don't look back.
Hey Bernie, Try reaching up your ass and ripping out the catholic church so you can start to think clearly. Remember the catholic church loves sheep like you so either lean forward and say "Baaah" some more or take my advice.
I think we should see if Matt Cunningham has moved to Fontucky. Bernie/Allen sounds strangely similar. Bernie will you be outing victims too?
Bernie ol' boy: NOW I get why I got your goat�you're a foul-mouthed pedo-apologist! So, which club do you belong to: Mater Dei, or Brownie's Boys? How have I lied in my coverage of the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal, as you continue to assert? And what do you have against SNAP and John Manly? They've done more to protect the children of God than your sorry soul could ever hope to do in a thousand lifetimes. And, for the record, I have no ties to either of them. Also, you sure seem to believe in your telepathic powers! You claim that "diogenes" and "hrh" are one and the same commentator, yet our records show they're two distinct people. HOWEVER...our records show your IP and that of "Allen" above to be one and the same originating from Fontucky! Care to explain that?
Traditionally a success of a Catholic school is based on its ability to induce a painful punishment to a misbehaving student. For example the naked ass paddling in the rectory is an initial degree of a punishment administered to a misbehaving child. So it is absolutely appropriate in the Catholic school system to use a forceful insertion of the penis into the misbehaving child's rectum. Be honest folks, look around at your peers who graduated from the Mater Dei High School and you must see that a painfully punishment works. Would you rather co-work with an idiot educated by the SAUSD having his rectum intact or with a successful individual educated by the Mater Dei with a ripped rectum and modified sexual orientation?..... look how successful are all the bloggers in the Orange Juice Blog and their fat ass. The bigger the ass higher the IQ. So Gustavo, stop bashing this proven educational system.
Troll-of-the-moment: ROFLMAO!
hrh, etc: bull-f*cking shit. You are such a f*cking liar. I've seen your multi-named posts on other blogs. Liar, liar, liar. Are you a priest? You seem to fixate on oral sex.
Troll-of-the-moment-Bernie, for what it's worth, I never, EVER use any name except my initials, hrh, or hrhhrh when the site requires more than three letters. Now you may slither back under your rock.
"...the same attorneys represent the Diocese of Orange, Los Angeles Archdiocese, the OC Sheriff's Department and multiple public school districts...."??????!!!!!! Name names, if that is true. Which lawyer represents the DofO and/or ANY of the other entities you named????
If attorneys like Jon Manley, reporters like Gustavo and the OC Weekly professionals did NOT exist in this country, NO VICTIM OF A SEX CRIME would ever see justice. Think about the legal conflicts of interest that continue just in Orange County, CA alone.... the same attorneys represent the Diocese of Orange, Los Angeles Archdiocese, the OC Sheriff's Department and multiple public school districts.... Does the OC District Attorney or OC Board of Supervisors think about the fair administration of justice, protecting children or taking corrective action so children and families are safe? NO. POLITICS run this county and sadly, POLITICAL INFLUENCE continues to destroy the protections of precious children not only in the OC but throughout the U.S. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!! Brown and his attorneys should be next to face a federal criminal indictment... but we all know that in the infamous and wealthy OC, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Politicians are too concerned with the next election and campaign donations to do the right thing in the interests of protecting children.
Beware, "hrh" is also "Diogenes" is also "Orange Diocese Roman Catholic." He trolls all the anti-church blogs -- yeah, anti-church, no matter what the topic -- using a variety of names to say the same things, over and over and over again. Have some guts and use your one, real name, jerk. And quit lying.
And the prize goes to Bernie for being the first troll on this thread. Congratulations, dummy!
As if the probably bought-and-paid-for shilling of Stooleano for John Manly is anything better than what's being criticized!! What ought to be investigated are the probable deep and moneyed connections between Manly-SNAP-Arellano.
Gustavo, Not to worry; all newspapers have CRIME reporters.
Anyone donating any monies to Brown and this pedo cult, is either one of them, or an idiot.
It's clear the dioceses have scared off many religion reporters with threats and intimidation. Other reporters are more interested in being "in" at the chanceries than in establishing truth. The newer crop of reporters for the most part are not the "Watergate era" investigative reporters who have passed into retirement. The downziing has also taken its toll. Reporters have so much on their plates that they cannot do even minimal checking. It's happening across the country.
F L O R E S = Flagrantly Litigious Oral-Copulating Rape Enabling Sodomist
Well said Gustavo! One has to wonder the threats of employment loss and/or income come each time a reporter covers the truths about corruption and failures to protect precious children from sexual predators in the infamous Orange County, California, or anywhere else in the U.S. The executive management team at the OC Weekly obviously allow the truths for publication.....this is a valuable public safety service--Thank you for placing precious children at the highest priority!!!! Most importantly, if it weren't for you and others reporting from the OC Weekly, free of bribes, threats or intimidation, precious children in Orange County would be at more risk of being targeted as a victim of politically connected and most often, sexual predators employed and supervised by a religious institution. Yet, one has to wonder if Raul Rosas Hernandez, who was just sentenced to 90 years in prison by an Orange County Superior Court Judge, for sexually assaulting minor children, would have been better off entering St. John's Seminary to be a Catholic priest. At least the Diocese of Orange legal team, Callahan, Rullo-Schinderle and newly appointed Flores, would have protected him from a lifetime of prison. See: http://www.ktla.com/landing_news/?Pastor-Gets-90-Years-for-Molesting-Young=1&blockID=177813&feedID=171 Compare the list of sexual predators in Orange County, as posted by Gustavo and the OC Weekly since 2005. Can you ever imagine an Orange County Judge, or the OC District Attorney or the OC Sheriff's Department investigating a Catholic priest or employee of the Diocese in the same fashion as Raul Rosas Hernandez? NOT A CHANCE! How many sexual predators are free to sexually abuse precious children because the Diocese of Orange's wealth and political influence PROTECTED sexual predators from accountability in a court of law? PARENTS -- guard your children..... love them and demand answers from Bishop Brown! With another attorney advising Bishop Brown, Auxiliary Bishop Flores, will Flores practice law or minister the teachings of the Catholic Church? NO CHILD IS SAFE until the dirty secrets become public.