The pope says...

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Justin,

I have a page I read to examine myself before confession. On it is listed reading the literature of heretics.

I would never recommend anyone read anything by the pope or any other heretic; Many times their heresies are disguised as corrupt leanings or are disseminated through innuendo.

Like I said, Zenit is only good to get the latest on the whale populations in the Pacific or find out which countries are getting left out of their share in global trade.

The sentence in my first post just caught my eye; in all seriousness, I suppose I should have kept quiet.

Now what was that about Mother Angelica?

[Justin Kissel]

I admit it, I like watching her (or at least did when I had a TV). That isn't to say I'd recommend her... but if it came down to watching her or Baywatch, I'm glad I chose the former. What I do recommend is throwing out all that stands between you and God... but I often just come off sounding like a puritan (since I'm repeating the sayings of the Church Fathers, but don't have their discernment so as to know when and how to say it).

Your remark about confession is intriquing, though. I've never really thought about Catholic TV in that way. I guess I'm so used to TV being considered entertainment, which translated (subconsciously) to "not something you have to worry about, as long as the people are clothed and not having sex and not swearing (and so forth)". How dreadful a view I have! Or at least had. As Saint Anatoly of Optina often said, today I'll start again, and make a new beginning.