January 27, 2012                               Pope's Message re Silence                                               Anon 

I think the linked item is a sad illustration of how the Church
can teach its members the virtues of silence and quiet contemplation
while stilling the voices of disquiet and loyal criticism.

I am reminded of Noam Chomsky’s observations
on the behaviour of Corporations when they come under public scrutiny: 
they brand the ‘dissidents’ as not of sound mind and put up a barrage of flak!

Notice comments from an archbishop at above link:
"There are situations where I must speak up," he said, 
because otherwise "my silence would be a betrayal," especially when witnessing injustice.

And another comment by the author of the article:
The pope underlined the importance of digital media
 -- a theme he has championed in his three previous communications day messages.
Search engines and social networks aid people in their innate thirst for answers and the truth, he said
(...especially when local Catholic media is heavily censored...!)