Pope Benedict picks Fox News reporter to burnish Vatican's image

[rug]

Opus Dei member Greg Burke to take strategic communication role amid signs of radical shakeup at top of Catholic church

John Hooper in Rome
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 24 June 2012 12.08 EDT

A Fox News reporter has been chosen by Pope Benedict to burnish the Vatican's image amid signs that the 85-year-old pontiff is plotting a radical shakeup at the top of the Roman Catholic church.

Greg Burke, a 52-year-old member of the conservative Opus Dei fellowship, is to take a strategic communication role in the Vatican's most important government department, the secretariat of state.

He said: "I feel exactly the way I felt in Lebanon at the start of the 2006 war – nervous and excited at the same time, with a guarantee that it is going to be interesting. I don't know how it's going to work out, but I know it's going to be interesting."

Burke, who is currently Rome correspondent for Fox television, said his role would be different from that of Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See's press office. The US journalist said he would be based in the secretariat of state and his remit would be more strategic. He said he had twice refused a similar offer from the Vatican, "because I had a really great job".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/24/pope-fox-news-reporter?newsfeed=true

Well, there's the first PR blunder.

[cbayer]

1. Radical shake up to be burnished by a Fox news reporter?

You can't just make this stuff up.

[dimbear]

2. Insiders report the short list included Kent Brockman and Morbo.

Good call.

[HarveyDarkey]

3. Faux Nooz is good at propoganda

he should do well

[dimbear]

4. Italian press: "The Yanks have landed. Just in time?"

It's heartwarming. Where else can you find the whole real truth if not at Fox?

[Angry Dragon]

5. That explains a lot

Pope loves fox

[dimbear]

6. There's a darling but obscure aspect to this story: Cardinal Vingt-Trois

may finally achieve international fame. Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois (which does in fact mean Cardinal 23) explains his name as resulting from a foundling ancestor being discovered on the 23rd of some month.

Awww.



No relation to Chad Ochocinco.

[rug]

7. I hope he's papabile and takes the name John

Pope John Vingt-Trois XXIV

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. I dunno - his existence as a cardinal number is pretty perfect (nt)

[daaron]

9. Fox News reporter burnishing an image?

Gee, wonder who the Vatican is appealing to? Who is the Roman Catholic Church's chosen audience? This choice says a LOT about them. Of ALL the people they could have chosen, they chose a Fox News reporter. Had they chosen a reporter from any other network, nobody would have thought anything of it. Non-story.

Fox News reporter? That says something.

It says the Vatican is writing the Left off, completely, and aligning with the Republicans in this country, and the rightwingers in Europe.

I think maybe the billboards I've seen popping up near St. Louis are right: Catholics should leave the church. Liberal Catholics definitely should.