Sunday, April 10, 2011

Hey "Taliban Catholic" Bloggers!! Come to the *Other* Rome Catholic Blognic

Do you have a blog on which you write about Catholic stuff?

Do you read Catholic blogs?

Do you comment on Catholic blogs?

Are you planning on going to Rome for the Beatification of John Paul II?

Are you pretty sure you're not going to get invited to the Vatican's blognic?


Come to the *other* Catholic blogger Rome blognic...


and talk about what *YOU* want to talk about...

Unlike the Vatican's, ours will have beer...

AND pizza...

AND we'll let you come in your pyjamas if you want.

Tell your bloggy friends and enemies.

When?
May 3rd, 2011, 1-5 pm (for Europeans, that's 13:00-17:00)

Where?
We're still in the process of organising this (since we just dreamed it up on Friday). More details about location will follow, but right now we're looking at a very central venue, Scholar's Lounge Pub, the home of the Rome Pub Quiz, which is on all the Centro's bus and tram routes. So it will be an easy access to wherever you'll be camping for the Beatification.

Things we do know:

1) you will be allowed to talk about whatever YOU want

2) No Vatican prelate will engage you in a meaningful dialogue

3) the talks will all be in English

4) all the cool kids will be there

For now, the plan is to have two formal "talks," in the style of Theology on Tap: a keynote and a panel. We'll discuss the general state of things, the impact of the "new media" on the Church at the local and international level, the contributions of bloggers to the various Catholic public debates etc (see topic suggestions below).

The rest of the time will be in "small breakout discussion groups" (IOW, sitting around in the pub drinking and talking).

Also, we're going to do our best to get Wifi so you can liveblog it, and we can maybe set up some Skype calls or iChat thingies for people whose bodies can't make it so at least their heads can be there. And we'll see what we can do about getting the thing on video so it can go up on YouTube.

AND, if all goes as planned, there will be discounts for drinks for those who are registered before the event.

"Sounds GREAT! Where do I sign up?"

Are you on Facebook? look for "The *Other* Rome Catholic Blognic" on the facebook search and sign on. Leave a note on the Wall giving a link to your blog, (or to the blogs where you most often make a pest of yourself in the commbox). It's that simple.

Or, you can just send me a link to your blog in the commbox below, by email or by a message on Facebook and I will put you on the list.


Sounds GREAT! What can I do to help put it together?

First, thing to do, is cut and paste this post into your blog (or other new media thingy) and start drumming up interest.

Next, think of three or more Catholic bloggers who fit the following criteria:

1) is likely to be described, in the immortal words of John Allen and at least one influential cleric, as "Taliban Catholics"

2) blogs about Catholic stuff

3) is likely to be in Rome for the Beatification anyway

...and invite them to join this facebook event page.

Next, suggest topics you'd like to hear talked about. So far we've had:

1) Whatever the hell we damn well want to talk about

2) "blogging until something happens"
- the intolerable silence of injustice has been disturbed and even destroyed
- the power of the blogs efforts in transparency and accountability

3) "I am not alone"
- isolationism and the iconoclasm

4) Why is the Catholic bloggosphere so nearly uniformly "conservative," pro-Benedict and, above all, young?

5) Are we really "making a difference" or is it really all just narcissism?

6) exchanging stories: how have Catholic blogs, websites and "new media" actually made a concrete difference to the Church or to real people?

...

UPDATE:


Bloggers (and Catholic "New Media" people) I've invited

Jeff Miller, the Curt Jester
the "Seraphic" Dorothy Cummings McLean
Elizabeth Scalia, the Anchoress
Michael Voris
Fr. Tim "Hermeneutic of Continuity" Finigan
John "Orbis Catholicus Secundus" Sonnen
Deal Hudson
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
Anthony Ozimic and John Smeaton of SPUC
Chris Gillibrand of Catholic Church Conservation
The "Dyspeptic" Dale Price
Gregory DiPippo, Gregor Kollmorgen and Shawn Tribe of New Liturgical Movement
Andrew Cusack of Andrew Cusack
Fellow former League of Evil Traditionalists:
Mary "Against All Heresies" Alexander
Steve Skojec and Nick Trandem (who no longer blog)
Fr. Philip "Da Mihi hanc aquam" Powell
Oliver McCarthy, who seems to have locked everyone out of his blog
Sean Taylor, also known as Binky the Webelf
Deborah Gyapong who I sometimes forget isn't Catholic (quite yet)
Fr. John "Veritas in Caritate" Boyle
Thomas Peters the American Papist
John Allen (maybe he can tell us what, exactly, constitutes a "Taliban Catholic")
Creative Minority Report
Rorate Caeli
Mulier Fortis who I see has kindly given us a link
Robert "Love Undefiled" Colquhoun

21 comments:

Mrs McLean said...

Awesome! You invited Binky!

New Catholic said...

I cannot BELIEVE I have not been invited. Left out of a team again after all these years?... It's tough being an extreme even for Extremists...

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Sorry, I don't read blogs much any more. You're too new for me to know about.

Put yourself on the list.

Get proactive.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Wait, why didn't you say you were Rorate Caeli?!

I've been trying to find a contact for anyone who runs that thing.

Consider yourself invited.

Sheesh!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
New Catholic said...

Sorry, I thought this second blognic was a kind of joke due to the "Official Blog Reunion", and that it would not seriously take place. Thanks for the kind invitation, nonetheless.

NC

Mulier Fortis said...

Oi, Madam... why am I not on the list???

(Yeah, I know... )

;-p

Seriously - this is inspired. Hope it goes well!

Anonymous said...

Wish I could go or send our most popular defender...lol, he would have to be wheeled in , in his wheel chair, but he would be a great asset, although he's too busy napalming that heretical site Catholica Australia. http://members7.boardhost.com/TrueCatholic/

Digitalnun said...

What if one is too old to be labelled but still blog? And why aren't we video-conferencing instead of journeying to Rome? (Less fun, I know, but more in the spirit of new media, surely?)

Fr. Philip Powell, OP said...

My dear Hilary, greetings from the swamps of Louisiana!

Many thanks for the invite. . .I'd attend if I were in Rome. I'm a little put out that the Holy Father didn't invite me to his shindig. ;-)

Looking forward to reading a thorough report of the event.

God bless, Fr. Philip, OP

Michelle said...

4) Why is the Catholic bloggosphere so nearly uniformly "conservative," pro-Benedict and, above all, young?

Do you all have any data on this? I'd be curious (being neither a left nor right leaning Catholic blog....)

S. Petersen said...

Aren't you the one who called me a brat? The mysterious Canadienne doing art in Rome?

Jeff Culbreath said...

So you didn't invite me. Fine.

Unknown said...

As you can see, those who don't get an invite are supposed to invite themselves.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes - the bloggers whose main currency and MO are feelings of unjust exclusion from official Church-dom will now have their own event involving invitations and exclusions.

Say what you want HJMW - you've got your list of the True Blue Catholic Kids. It's right there for all to see. You're playing the same game that the Pontifical council will be playing. As in - Sucks not to be you - eh?

Saira Mokhtari said...

Sounds like this would be a great help for a brand new blogger. I won't make it to Rome, but I do hope to join if there is a conference call. :)

Unknown said...

Hey Anon,

if you want to be invited, you just have to give a name.

Which is the rules for this blog, btw.

Jackie Parkes MJ said...

What is wrong with the official meeting? Aren't you being quite biased in your own links? Some bloggers loyal to the magisterium don't all link to the same bloggers..perhaps a third meeting could include them..

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Hi Jackie,

Maybe you could read the posts about "what's wrong with the official meeting". A lot of people are talking about it, but most of all, what's wrong with it is the infinitessimal chance I have of being invited.

As I've said (many times now) I didn't want to miss out on the fun, so I'm having this one so I don't have to.

And yes, I'm being biased in my links. These are the blogs I happen to like. I invited them because they're the ones I pay attention to.

You will note, however, that the call is for people to invite whatever Catholic bloggers they want, and for any and all Catholic bloggers to invite themselves.

I don't have a "selection criterion" except, "be a Catholic, a blogger and want to come".

It's a funny thing to be accused of exclusivity when I'm putting a public notice of my event on my blog and on facebook and begging bloggers to invite whomever.

But if there's one thing that characterises bloggers of all stripes it's the pleasure they take in sniping at each other.

Anonymous said...

How I DO miss the League of Evil Traditionalists!

Moi said...

And if, as French catholic blogueurs, you like to drink when debating between never-agreeing-catholics, come and join us monday night : http://catholic-bloggers.com

@lepetitchose