Because he's afraid that anything he says will leak. Even when its not controversial. Its classic paranoia that authoritarians inevitably dwindle down to
I would also add as a former Diocesan employee, that sometimes errors or mistakes (content, technical, etc.) can be discovered late or after something has already been sent out to parishes and having a method like password protection gives the Bishop's office an easy out if he changed his mind about having the video shown for any reason.
I think the story is less about the content, and more Martins mental state. he's clearly gripped by paranoia and fear anything he says will leak, to the point he's now treating any priest in his diocese as a potential traitor.
In what way was it necessary for this to be a visual message, even requiring screens to be used in churches without them, rather than a simple letter? The exact timing within the mass for it to be seen?
A good message has been subverted by its author's megalomania.
First of all, what was the point of shrouding this in mystery and intrigue. I only skimmed through it, but there is nothing controversial here.
Second, why hire a video-production team to do this. This is something could easily have been read from the pulpit by every pastor. There’s nothing groundshaking here that needs to come from the bishops mouth.
I work in video production. This is a very simple two-camera shoot. But that still costs money, even if you have an in-house team doing it. If hire a production company, this simple shoot could easily cost a couple thousand. Just in labor alone, you hire two camera ops (+ camera rentals), an audio guy, and lighting guy (+ rentals and expendables) and production manager from the company.
This looks like it was done on the cheap (I don’t say the dismissively… it didn’t require more than this and this is exactly what I would have done/recommended)… but still it did cost money. They invested money in something that could have been done (in my opinion) more effectively with a mix of pamphlets, mandatory readings from the pulpit and social media.
I was wondering the same thing about the video. Traditional-leaning parishes tend to get annoyed by playing videos in sacred spaces, because of what it does to your expectations with the space, but reading letters is unobjectionable. And it doesn't require you to haul the equipment out and put it back in the middle of Mass.
This is a good message, taken at face value. But I will need a lot of grace to take it at face value, given the bishop's actions to start his episcopate.
May God grant me the grace to receive the good in this, and may he grant Bishop Martin the grace to see and receive the good in his diocese.
One idea for evangelization is to join the Legion of Mary. It's a lay group formed for the purpose, can be set up in every parish, involves prayer, formation in the work, small family-like groups, and has been doing the job for over a century, operating on the model of sending people out two-by-two for short efforts, then returning to the group.
I am relieved that this was not focused on liturgy and indeed, contains nothing controversial, but why the whole password-protected whooha?
Because he's afraid that anything he says will leak. Even when its not controversial. Its classic paranoia that authoritarians inevitably dwindle down to
I would also add as a former Diocesan employee, that sometimes errors or mistakes (content, technical, etc.) can be discovered late or after something has already been sent out to parishes and having a method like password protection gives the Bishop's office an easy out if he changed his mind about having the video shown for any reason.
Credit where it is due: this is good.
What was the purpose of making this a mandatory video, though? Nothing special here.
I think the story is less about the content, and more Martins mental state. he's clearly gripped by paranoia and fear anything he says will leak, to the point he's now treating any priest in his diocese as a potential traitor.
In what way was it necessary for this to be a visual message, even requiring screens to be used in churches without them, rather than a simple letter? The exact timing within the mass for it to be seen?
A good message has been subverted by its author's megalomania.
First of all, what was the point of shrouding this in mystery and intrigue. I only skimmed through it, but there is nothing controversial here.
Second, why hire a video-production team to do this. This is something could easily have been read from the pulpit by every pastor. There’s nothing groundshaking here that needs to come from the bishops mouth.
I work in video production. This is a very simple two-camera shoot. But that still costs money, even if you have an in-house team doing it. If hire a production company, this simple shoot could easily cost a couple thousand. Just in labor alone, you hire two camera ops (+ camera rentals), an audio guy, and lighting guy (+ rentals and expendables) and production manager from the company.
This looks like it was done on the cheap (I don’t say the dismissively… it didn’t require more than this and this is exactly what I would have done/recommended)… but still it did cost money. They invested money in something that could have been done (in my opinion) more effectively with a mix of pamphlets, mandatory readings from the pulpit and social media.
And done all without the mystery and drama.
I suspect he wanted it to come from the Bishop directly. Playing it at mass means a captive audience.
So does a letter.
I was wondering the same thing about the video. Traditional-leaning parishes tend to get annoyed by playing videos in sacred spaces, because of what it does to your expectations with the space, but reading letters is unobjectionable. And it doesn't require you to haul the equipment out and put it back in the middle of Mass.
This is a good message, taken at face value. But I will need a lot of grace to take it at face value, given the bishop's actions to start his episcopate.
May God grant me the grace to receive the good in this, and may he grant Bishop Martin the grace to see and receive the good in his diocese.
I can't help but see these visions, mission statements, and such as: "wheel v.9,987,354"
Feels like the password to this video was "Drink more Ovaltine."
One idea for evangelization is to join the Legion of Mary. It's a lay group formed for the purpose, can be set up in every parish, involves prayer, formation in the work, small family-like groups, and has been doing the job for over a century, operating on the model of sending people out two-by-two for short efforts, then returning to the group.