Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a new example of media bias:
I recently issued a news release on the meeting between the president and the pope. In it I quoted from a source that purported to be the official Vatican statement. It noted “their joint commitment in favor of life, and freedom of worship and conscience.”
After my release was issued, I said to a colleague that it was odd to see the Vatican speaking about “freedom of worship” instead of “religious liberty.” I then checked the official Vatican website and found that “religious liberty” had indeed been the wording of the official statement. We have since corrected my initial remarks.
So who is misreporting this? The Associated Press, Politico and many other media outlets.
Does this matter? Yes. “Freedom of worship” is the term used by people such as President Obama and Hillary Clinton: they are conveying a privatized understanding of religious expression, one that relegates religious beliefs and practices to houses of worship.
“Religious liberty” conveys a robust public expression of religion. That is the term preferred by the Catholic Church, as well as all of those who are truly religion-friendly.
The mainstream media know the difference. This was no mistake.
