The Barron had Landed!!!

Well, the "exclusive"  Catholic Roadshow 2012 has arrived on our shores. Is it Fulton Sheen? Is it Bing Crosby? Is it Mel Gibson? No, look at your screen, check your facebook, it's Fr Robert Barron star of Wikipedia has arrived online and in roman collar to tour the country.

Today's Cathnews carries an interesting item from the Melbourne Age introducing Fr Barron to the unwashed masses.

I have a couple of concerns with Fr Barron's reported comments:

Fr Barron is not correct when he dismisses the sexual abuse crisis by claiming the "wrong people are telling the story". Those telling the stories are survivors and their families betrayed by the very community to whom they sought faith hope and love.

Despite  his attempt to reclaim beauty and integrity Fr Barron comes across as a 'spin doctor"more than a prophet calling the Church back to basics in the saintly models he promotes.

Is there also  an echo of good old fashioned clericalism in the quartet of holy blokes  he offers as models we need to seek today. I would much rather look to the witness of Edith Stein, Dorothy Day and the countless women of faith for my hope for the future.