The Tablet attacks Catholic blogs

Comment: it takes a stunning lack of self-knowledge for The Tablet to accuse others of 'straight poison-pen character assassination without reference to any requirements of accuracy or balance.' (leader, 1/4/09) Wasn't The Tablet being accused of something along these lines, and with good reason, just a few weeks ago?

Only the hauteur of the liberal establishment makes possible the lambasting of a conspiracy among its opponents, one of whose principle characteristics is supposed to be 'paranoia' and conspiracy theories.

It may be news to Catherine Pepinster, whose mixture of denial and paranoia is revealing itself in her leading articles, but most Catholic blogs pay little attention to The Tablet. It comes onto the radar screen only when it takes to poison-pen character assassination.

Naturally, Catholic blogs take up the contrary position to The Tablet much of the time. When The Tablet attacks the Holy Father, we defend him. When it attacks Archbishop Nichols, or Bishop O'Donaghue, or Catholic teachings, we defend them. But don't make yourself feel too important: it's not a conspiracy against The Tablet: we'd be defending these people and things anyway.

But since you raise the question in the week the Bishops are having their annual meeting, who is doing damage to the Catholic cause? And who gets the implicit approval of bishops and parish priests? The Tablet is stocked in churches throughout the land, yet never ceases to undermine the Church, its institutions and its teachings alike.The Bishops would do well to end this anomaly.