The Program Fantastic of Rede Globo de Televisão, a month ago, broadcast two successive programs, on October 20 and 27 of this year, conveying several untruths against the Heralds Association of the Gospel. In the last program, it surprised the insertion of a letter from the Bishop of Ituiutaba (MG) Dom Irineu Andreassa, OFM dated October 25. The program comments that the prelate "does not recommend the adherence of the Catholic faithful" to the Heralds and that they "act in bad faith, inducing people in good faith to deception and doubt." Actually, the truth is different.
Commented Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that the worst persecution that may exist would be the one that involved catholics themselves
In the context of religious persecution that has slaughtered the Church in recent times, one of the tactics of anti-Catholic hosts is to incite hatred among the faithful themselves and their rightful pastors. In this sense, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI commented that the worst persecution that may exist would be one that involved Catholics themselves. And such internal persecution cannot prosper, of course, without the collaboration of external agents.
This was precisely the hoax employed by the Fantastic program by implying that the Heralds of the Gospel were, on the one part, as opposed to the Pastors of the Church, while these (mentions only one in reality) would be at odds with the entity . Well, this was the fallacious effect of the report that even the Catholic magazine Vida Nueva (from Spain), among others, vetoed that Dom Irineu Andreassa disagreed with the entity's performance in his Diocese. In fact, this is an absolute falsehood proven by the facts.
The truth is that the Heralds of the Gospel always seek to carry out their evangelizing and charitable actions in total harmony with the ecclesiastical and civil authorities, receiving thousands of letters of recommendation from them throughout the orb. The authentic ecclesial spirit can be proven in the episode in question itself, as two members of the Association addressed the local bishop respectfully in ituiutaba Cathedral on 19/10/2019 for a fraternal dialogue, serving promptly to the weightings of the prelate.
One of the last letters containing praise to the Association, contrary to sensu, was sent by the bishop of Ituiutaba himself, in which he clarifies the imbroglio that involved his Diocese and the Heralds of the Gospel. That way, therefore, restores the truth.
"The use of that document by that broadcaster is completely outside the context of the reasons that originated it and far from substantiating the reports transmitted"
— Don Irineu Andreassa, diocesan bishop
In the missive sent to this Association on November 18, Dom Andreassa immediately clarifies that his letter was manipulated "in an incautous manner", in order to create confusion in the minds of the faithful. Here are his initial words:
"We saw, through this, clarifying that the document presented by Rede Globo de televisão on 10/20/201[na realidade dia 27]9, was not with our knowledge and did not have our acquiescence, being certain that the use of that document by that broadcaster is completely out of the context of the reasons that originated it and far from substantiating the reports transmitted, since in an incauta way, tried to unfairly link our Diocese with their respective television matters".
The Franciscan prelate also expressed his repudiation of the way the theme was dealt with by the Fantastic program:
"It remains to be noted that we do not compact in any way with the way in which these reports were displayed by rede Globo de television, because in a fierce and unashamed way, it has skyrocketed against the morality of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church and its faithful ".
In addition to having put viewers in the wrong way about the pastoral actions of the Heralds of the Gospel the prelate attested that "the Fantastic program of October 27, 2019 made him believe that there was retaliation for the Heralds of the Gospel by the Bishop of Ituiutaba".
Then, repelling the content of the fallacious accusations against the Association, he asserted:
"This was mean and misplaced, t[…]riggering an imminent divide between Christians. Moreover, they created factoids, as if Bishops of the Church did not accept the Heralds of the Gospel."
"We strongly repudiate this link by rede Glob[feita]o TV Station, making it seem t[…]hat the Diocese of Ituiutaba and its Bishop accuse the Heralds of the Gospel. THAT'S NOT TRUE.
— Don Irineu Andreassa, diocesan bishop
In this wake, Dom Irineu also wanted to emphasize the carat of disservice that the media can cause to society and the Church, promoting discord between its members and their pastors:
"Therefore, we strongly repudiate this link by rede Globo[feita] TV Station, putting the words[…] of the Bishop out of context, and thus making it seem that the Diocese of Ituiutaba and his Bishop accuse the Heralds of the Gospel. THAT'S NOT TRUE.[destaque do original]"
Clarifying the "words out of context", Dom Irineu demonstrated his consideration towards the Heralds, repudiating once again the sensationalist tactic of pitting Catholics against each other:
"We have nothing against the history and services provided by this Association,[…] because the matters in the way they were made ended up putting many Christians in doubt and call into question the actions and works of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church."
Finally, the prelate used a suggestive passage from the Acts of the Apostles (5,38-39):
"If this work is of men, it will not triumph. But if it's God's, not the fight, for you will be fighting God himself.[destaque no original]"
In a context in which the Church is increasingly persecut[1]ed, this lesson of the Acts of the Apostles, underlined by the Bishop of Ituiutaba, cannot be more current…
[1]Cf. Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre. Chasetati più che mai. Focus sulla persecuzione anticristiana trai il 2017 e il 2019. Online: https://acs-italia.org/wp-content/uploads/ACN-Perseguitati-piu%CC%80-che-mai_ITA_web.pdf