- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Fr Walter Ciszek, Thomas More, Cardinal George Pell all inspired us from prison but the Catholic Media Association silences Fr Gordon MacRae. — By Ryan A. MacDonald
Here’s a taste from Ryan’s blog:
“The Chicago-based Catholic Media Association (CMA) publishes in its preamble that it exists “to spread and to support the Kingdom of God” with “principles derived from the Catholic faith.” Many Catholics might be hard-pressed to comprehend how that is accomplished by the creation of a new class of lepers in the Church, Catholic priests judged guilty for being accused.
“The Catholic Media Association invites those engaged in writing and publishing regarding the Catholic faith – including Catholic bloggers – to apply for membership. In a review of Fr Gordon MacRae’s blog, Beyond These Stone Walls, Catholic Culture gave its highest marks for fidelity to the faith and for fairness and content. Our Sunday Visitor cited it as its Readers’ Choice for the Best of the Catholic Web.
“About.com awarded it second place in its “Best Catholic Blog” category. The National Catholic Register has cited it in various online and print articles. Catalyst, the Journal of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, has cited it on numerous occasions and has published two centerpiece articles by Fr MacRae who is also a member of the Catholic Writers Guild. But none of this was sufficient to overcome the prison “leper” class into which Father MacRae was relegated by the Catholic Media Association with this terse dismissal from CMA Executive Director Timothy M. Walter:
- “Mr. MacRae: I appreciate your interest in the Catholic Media Association but I’m sorry to inform you that the Membership Committee has denied your request for membership at this time.”
I’m indignant at their usage of “Mr.” As it is, Father MacRae has always been in good standing with all priestly faculties. You can read Ryan’s great comment in continuation of this article over his blog: http://araminthethicket.blogspot.com/2021/11/at-catholic-media-association-bias-and.html
Ryan is much more polite than I am. The usage of the word Toady and the picture above is mine. Fun fact from Google dictionary about “Toady”: “Early 19th century: said to be a contraction of toad-eater, a charlatan’s assistant who ate toads; toads were regarded as poisonous, and the assistant’s survival was thought to be due to the efficacy of the charlatan’s remedy.” Pope Francis renders this multisyllabicly: coprophagia. Pope Francis doesn’t like coprophagia. Nope. Not one bit.
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
Father MacRae’s treatment has been outrageous for many years. It began with the false accusations made against him, followed by a kangaroo court, which “tried” him, found him guilty and sentenced him to an insane term in prison. All this supported by a vile statement of the American Bishops who had been caught ignoring the truth of the homosexual problem in the Church by shuffling true criminals from place to place.
Father MacRae is a white martyr. He has done immense good for the souls of those he has influenced either because they are his fellow prisoners, or because they have read his writing.
While he should be the star of the Catholic Media Association, recognized as a very holy person and a fine writer, perhaps this is God’s way of protecting him from toads. After all, it has long been believed that touching toads gives one warts.