Apart from that - what you said entirely.

And I think that sort of stuff really resonates with people - the Mother Teresa thing.

The pontifications of a bishop or an archbishop are about as appealing as a fart in a greenhouse gas climate conference.

It seems that is the simple people in every denomination and those who serve at a grass roots level serving the community (schools, orphanages, world vision, even surf clubs) is where you do see authenticity.

Here is a Catholic Girl who put her faith into action that really inspires me:

http://www.schoolofstjude.co.tz/

The Kingdom ethic is the inversion of the worlds ethic, and whilst a believe people can remain authentic at the top, it is much harder to do so.

Think Nova and Channel 10.

Well…I’m not sure I want to be encouraging the religious right…..and Catholicism seems to be a bizarre cult (sorry Luke).

I actually kind of worked for the Catholic Church once, when it owned Melbourne radio 3XY ..and changed the station from ‘Hot Hits 3XY’ to ‘XY Easy Rock’. The church had also bought 2SM and 4IP..and changed them to ‘lite and easy 1269′ and ‘lite and easy 1008′ respectively.

Within a few ratings surveys, these profitable middle-ranking stations were sent to the bottom of the pile. 3XY went from 9% to 1.9% within 2 surveys, only to be later sold for a rumoured $1 to a Geelong salt mine owner, who moved the station to Geelong, ran it into the ground, until it eventually went off the air all-together. I fondly remember the day when a Catholic church official, I think his name was ‘Father Paul’…arrived from Sydney at XY’s King Street studios…and once he had a look at 3XY’s books..reeled back in horror..and XY’s General Manager’s desk was cleared out that afternoon, and the GM was never seen again. (of course the Catholic church people all kept their jobs).

I estimate that the Catholic church must have lost AT LEAST 50 million dollars on the 3XY/2SM/4IP scandal..a scandal that’s never been made public……….a loss that was never revealed to its faithful parishioners who sactificially give each week. Makes what Hillsong’s doing look almost above board..in comparison.

Remind me to also tell you about the Les Twentyman myth one day. Another great story from my Melbourne days.

Anyway, the 3XY experience has always sat in the back of my mind as an example of the Catholic church being unable to decide what it is…..is it a business…..or a religion, or a humanitarian organisation, or an operator of schools……none of which it seems to do very well.

Newsrooms are full of people who are ex-Catholics (and ex-Anglicans, pentys, churches of christ BTW) who’ve all been raised in churches and church schools……

They know what the church does and is….so you can’t bullshit them. You can’t just re-brand or re-market the church, because many journo’s have first hand experience of what they’re like…particularly the church schools.

Same with the Anglicans. What’s the number one hate of churched school kids? Chapel. Fix the chapel services, and the kids, when they grow up….might have a more positive view of these churches..once they get into newsrooms..

As for a media strategy…. well…when I think of the Catholic church in Australia, I think of weeping statues in Rockingham, George Pell, St. Vincent De Paul, and Nick Tonti-Filippini. Woohoo.

And just recently…I think of the Catholic church man/men, who are buying time on Channel 9’s Sunday night news in Perth, to deliver a lecture about whatever’s on their mind, in front of a bland blue backdrop. I think that’s a poor use of the media, because it just re-inforces the church’s image as being at the mercy of dour colourless middle-aged humourless men….willing to talk and talk…but unable to listen.

The church should play to its strengths…. I still regularly get calls at work …asking for Father Brian Morrison….because he’s seen as a kind hearted man of the people. Father Gerard Dowling, I notice, is still plodding along on 3UZ/Sport 927 in Melbourne. It’s the local ministers who share real life with us, who connect with us, not the bishops and archbishops who talk down to us, and prance around in costume party attire in their cathedrals.

As a media strategy, I would have several of these warm-hearted suburban ministers allocated a ‘media portfolio’…so you get like a Catholic Les Twentyman, a Catholic Tim Costello, a Catholic Noel Pearson, etc….and they do ALL of the media talking for the church about their particular subject matter.

But I’d hide your archbishops and bishops from the media because I think they’re doing you more harm than good.

If a journalist wants to talk to the bishops and archbishops…make them ready available (because it pisses off journalists when they’re unavailable)…but certainly don’t offer them up for comment on public issues…because they’re friggin’ hopeless; they come across as pompous self-important self-serving gits.

Change things at the grass roots is your first priority, and then hopefully you won’t be getting as many friggin’ hopeless pompous one-dimensional self-important self-serving gits reaching the highest levels of the church..and killing off your media message.

And what is a ‘Caritas’ anyway?