Photo: Ask a papist question....

... get a whole lot of papist answers:

You can read them if you join the American Papist Facebook Fanpage!

Only the top 2,523 coolest papists on Facebook are doing it. ;-)

Photos: Archbishop Dolan's first communion, and first Mass

I understand this is a fanboy thing to do, but I am a big fan of Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan - so here we are!

The Archbishop Timothy Dolan fanpage on Facebook just posted these pictures:

Young Timothy Dolan on the day of his First Communion.

Father Timothy Dolan's first Mass.

Bad link: Vatican bans Facebook at work

From Jack Smith at the Catholic Key blog:

"From Catholic News Service. It's in the client area, so no public link. Excerpts:

The Vatican spokesman said the move is a "normal and prudent" measure that reflects similar strategies taken by other companies around the world that have blocked employee usage of social networking sites on office networks.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman, told Catholic News Service June 16 that "there is nothing surprising" about the new ban.

But some employees are complaining (anonymously) about the ban because Facebook has become a major news source and for many has replaced email. That's true for me on both counts.

It's also an important way for apostolates to communicate. It is the main means of communication for the Catholic young adult groups on both sides of the state line here."

More from the CNS article:

Banning Facebook indicates a lack of knowledge about how the Internet functions and how it can be a valuable work tool, the employee said.

"Given the Vatican's foul-up with communication in the past, (the online networking ban) shows they haven't learned their lesson," the employee said.

I completely agree. It's counter-intuitive to ban the world's largest social communications website while other organs of the Vatican are expanding their active presence there. On May 25th, for instance, the Pope encouraged young people to use social media.

Sure, Facebook can be a time-waster at work, but the solution to that temptation is not to ban access to it, but rather to address the unprofessional and selfish attitudes that cause people to waste time at work. In other words, the people that are abusing Facebook at work - once it is banned - will start wasting time with solitaire. And that's pretty tricky to ban.

facebook.com/AmericanPapist

That's a much easier URL to remember than the old one (which had a random set of numbers).

I think this would be a good opportunity to push the AmP facebook fanpage past 2,000 members.

And if you have a Facebook account, log in now to claim your personal "vanity" URL.

(... but in a moral, Catholic, way of course.)

O:-)

AmP-sponsored Mary Ann Glendon solidarity group passes 1,500 members! {update: 2,000 members!}

{update - things are moving past, we're past 2,000 members as of April 28th!}

By the time this post goes live the AmP-sponsored "I Support Mary Ann Glendon and her Noble Refusal!" Facebook group will have over 1,500 members.

{Note: There is a good chance I will have the opportunity of seeing Mary Ann Glendon in the next month and I look forward to telling her about the strong support of her decision among young Catholics - the Facebook group's primary demographic.}

It is clear that her brave decision has inspired and encouraged many, many souls. One has only to look through the dozens of comments posted to the page.

Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can view the group.

Facebook finally gets a targeted advertisment right

Facebook loves placing targeted advertisements on your sidebar when you use their website. It bases these ads on the information you've made available on your profile. This time it finally got one right:

In any case, if not for me personally - perhaps for people who share my interest in things Catholic.

Faith Found on Facebook (but not AmP?!)

Gretchen Crowe has a nice little article in the Arlington Catholic Herald about Catholicism and the new media (blogs, etc) and particularly facebook.

But I'm shocked - shocked - I say, to see that she didn't stumble across the Facebook AmP Fans!

I mean, there's only 1251 of 'em....

And then, on Facebook...

You can already become a facebook fan of Archbishop Dolan, or join the group Supporters of Archbishop Timothy J. Dolan, Archbishop of New York. I suggest this as a fan photo someone should include:


Note the Archbishop's right hand....

On Facebook, Regnum Christ youth react to Maciel news

A search of the popular social networking website Facebook reveals several popular groups created (some time ago) to support Marcial Maciel. Out of curiosity, I visited two of the largest ones to see how young Catholics are reacting to the news.

The first one is named "Sainthood Quickly for Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC!" (click on the picture for full-size.)

With 318 members currently, the description reads:

This group is especially created for all those who believe and know that Nuestro Padre has been in life and is now a saint!! Withut [sic.] doubt this man is probably one of the greates [sic.] men of our times and all of us and the whole world will be touched by him in many ways. This is a man that the world will never forget especially his beloved legionaries. Lets hope and pray that the process of beatification and canonization will begin quickly!!

One line from the group's discussion area caught my eye: "We cannot expect people on the outside to understand, because they have not had the opportunity to know the spirituality. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Cartas, CLC, etc and truly pray about it knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the author of those letters was in no way a man of sin or vice."

More work to be done.

The second group is named "In loving memory of Fr. Marcial Maciel, MC" (click on the picture for full-size.)

This group has obviously changed it group picture into one depicting a grieving Christ. The group's description has similarly been changed and, without mentioning what has happened, and counsels prayer for all those involved and hope that God will bring something good out of this.

And while some of Fr. Berg's comments are mentioned (greatfully) in the discussion thread, one person says: "I have learned a lot out of this experience. The mesage is: everyone can be a saint!"

More work to be done, still.

Put AmP Flair on your Facebook!

This is a little inside I realize ....

For those of you who know, and are interested, you can now receive and send "AmP Facebook Flair"! Just add the Flair application (if you don't have it already) and search for "papist". Pretty nifty, huh?

update: I've discovered that I have Mike Thomas of Saginaw/Bay City, MI to thank for this work!

Picture: Facebook ad seeks human eggs

A friend of mine here in Washington DC, like most girls her age (2o's), has a profile on Facebook.

And what does Facebook consider an appropriate advertisement for her demographic?

See for yourself:

Egg donation can be an appealing solution to the financial difficulties young women face, especially those attending higher education.

But the fact of the matter is that egg donors are most often recruited in order to assist couples trying to become pregnant through In Vitro fertilization, which is condemned by the Catholic Church.

Egg donation, while reducing the donors fertility, also treats a woman's reproductive gametes as a product that can be bought at a market price, which is against human dignity.

I don't think Facebook should be allowing such ads to be targeted at young women.

16 away! {update - made it!}

The official AmP Facebook fanpage is a mere 16 members from the new goal of 750. As I've said, AmP posts are fed into the Facebook page - so you can keep up to date on the news without ever having to leave Facebook (the designers must love me for that).

And a big thank you to everyone who has voted for AmP in the 2008 Blogger's Choice Awards this week!

update: bingo! 751 as of 12:35EST. Thanks to those of you who dipped into their friends list! =)

AmP Facebook Fanpage passes 700 member mark!

Over the weekend the official AmP Facebook Fanpage passed 700 members!

I think the fact that it now streams AmP blog content has helped motivate folks to join.

Okay, now go invite your friends and get active! (Discussian threads, event announcements, etc....)

Web: I'm friends with a Bishop on Facebook

When I first heard the rumor that the new bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas had a profile on super-popular social networking site Facebook, I had to follow up on it to see if it was true.

Lo and behold, as of yesterday, I'm the Most Reverend Anthony Basil Taylor's friend ... on Facebook, that is {photo}.

Luckily, I wasn't tempted to ask him based on his profile picture if he was an Anglican Bishop, as the blogger at St. Monica's Kneeler harrowingly recounts.

Now, in all probability, the profile is administered by someone in the diocesan offices.

So, with that proviso in mind, let's take a look at the bishop's online Facebook profile. It includes, notably:

• A yahoo email address
• 388 friends (as of this posting)
• The "Help Fight Global Warming! Together we can make a Difference" application
• Someone left him a "bumper sticker" saying "Who's Awesome? You're Awesome!"
• The "We're Catholic" and "Send Catholic Gifts" applications
• He posts his weekly homilies, in English and Spanish
• He's part of one cause: "The Social Reign of Christ the King", and one blog network: "Immaculate Heart of Mary's Hermitage Report."
• He has 38 wallposts (he's got some catching up to do - I have 2100+)

I especially got a kick out of his Education & Work background....

I must quibble. "Employer" should be "Jesus Christ", "Holy Spirit" or, I guess, "Pope Benedict XVI."

But "Position: Bishop"? Okay, he's got me good there.

... welcome to the New Evangelization (?).

Catholic Facebook Drama

At least this time it's a minor one. Damien Thompson writes:

I accepted a Facebook friend request yesterday, and suddenly I noticed a familiar name in my new friend’s list – Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor! I wouldn’t presume to add myself as a friend of His Eminence, but I did post a nice message on his wall.

Back came the response (see above): “You do not have permission to write on this wall.”

That’s not very welcoming is it? Particularly when you consider what I’d written: “Many thanks, Your Eminence, for your tireless efforts to implement the Holy Father’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.”

Who could object to that?

Of course, someone other than the Cardinal might have created the page.

While we're on the topic of Facebook, some folks in Lafayette, LA formed a group called "Facebook - stop removing Fr. from priests' names!":

Facebook is randomly removing the "Fr." prefix from priests' names and the "Sr." prefix from sisters' names but haven't done so for "Rev." and "Dr." Signup to join this group and we'll petition Facebook to reconsider what seems to be this anti-Catholic and more generally anti-Religious action.

I would say, however, that mosts the priests I'm friends with on Facebook do have their "Fr." titles retained.