This is quite refreshing. Rev. Peter J. Daly who was one of two participants in an article on the TLM that seemed to be quite disparaging has replied:

I’m sorry,

… On conservative Catholic blogs my name has been mud. I have been called everything from a heretic to a fool.

I’m sorry if I offended anyone. And it may surprise my correspondents, but I actually agree with many of them.

My previous column was a failure for two reasons. First, it did not convey my own affection for the old liturgy. Second, it did not recognize the good motivations of the people who want a return to the Latin liturgy.

Instead of attacking the messenger and writing off bloggers and others as cranks he goes on to give I think a much better analysis of why some love the extraordinary form of the Mass.

Now if only we can get him from calling it the Latin liturgy and the Latin Mass.

I do wish he would have corrected the many inaccuracies his original column and characterization of a neighboring parish (St. Francis deSales) with the TLM. Fr. Daly had personally apologized to the pastor of this parish and reportedly promised to put out a retraction. The new column has an excellent tone generally in reference to followers of the TLM, but does not make any mention of the parish he previously maligned. Though I don’t want to go on an on about this and am glad that Fr. Daly has written this column.

Jester Hat Tip:	The Cafeteria is Closed

Asked about reaction he had received, Archbishop Niederauer expressed concern about the impact of Web logs, or blogs.

"The blogosphere is a kind of dangerous, endless recess in a global schoolyard," he said, "where the bullies with the biggest bullhorns can shout whatever they want."

There is of course some truth in this, but these kind of comments are exactly the type of defensive ones used by people who are forced to react to something. Bloggers almost always are dismissed as always being in the extreme camp – I guess bullies in pajamas seems to be the dominant charge. No thanks is ever given when a some scandalous event is posted on and attention brought to bring it to an end. There have been a large range of reactions to this event with some of them quite uncharitable towards the Archbishop, but the implication that bloggers are just bullies who can shout whatever they want is not exactly charitable either with this implication of lying.

Catholic punditry is a potentially dangerous sport and we must always examine our consciences when we post and to be quite careful about what we say. I know I don’t want the first words from Jesus to me upon my death to be "About that blog of yours…" Sometimes it can seem that we can be quite happy reporting on scandals within parishes such as Most Holy Redeemer of the infamous St. Joan of Arc. Though speaking for myself and probably for the majority of Catholic bloggers, I would be quite happy to be reporting on positive changes in these parishes or not posting on them at all.

Jesuit Father Donal Godfrey, one of the Mass concelebrants, said the way the two men were dressed was “disrespectful to religious sisters,” but he said he felt “it probably wasn’t their intention (to offend.) They knelt in all the right places. They stood in all the right places. Except for the way they were dressed, they weren’t doing anything disrespectful.”

Fr. Donal Godfrey is normally good for a good laugh. "Except for the way they were dressed" is quite a funny line if you take it that way. Except for mocking the habits of Catholic religious orders and receiving Communion in objectionably grave sin they weren’t doing anything disrespectful.

Update: American Papist has some solid commentary on comments made defending MHR and the Archbishops comments on blogs.

A reader sent me the following story.

SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) — Reaction to San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer giving Communion to two men in mock nuns’ garb during an Oct. 7 Mass has been overblown, said the pastor of the church where the Mass was celebrated. "It is most unfortunate this incident has clouded the fact the archbishop came to meet with his people and celebrate a beautiful and reverent Mass together — and that is what really happened," said Father Stephen Meriwether, pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish. "This incident has been blown way out of proportion," he told Catholic San Francisco, the archdiocesan newspaper. Reaction has run the gamut from some who insist the "sisters" had set out to embarrass the church and the archbishop to others who felt the unannounced visitors who videotaped the Mass were more of an intrusion than the costumed men.

Last year after the sex toy bingo at Most Holy Redeemer hit the news Fr. Meriweather was said to be placed "on leave" by the archdiocese. This bingo being held in the parish hall was also run by
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. After all the hoopla died down Fr. Meriweather returned to the parish. Earlier this year the BBC broadcast what turned out to be prayer service (or in reality a homosexual pep rally) at MHR by Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J. who said about homosexuality" It’s simply another gift from God who created us as rainbow people." Every year MHR has maintained a presence at the areas gay pride events and the parish web site has shown pictures such as men kissing.