Buzz

If you follow the links in the margin, you could find these just as well yourself-- but here they are listed for your convenience-- all the blogger buzz about the Letter to China:

Amy
American Papist take 1
American Papist news roundup
Paper Clipping

Penitent Blogger simply posted the letter in toto. No need to link.

Idle Speculations drew my attention to the Declaration that accompanied the Letter. It seems to provide the same information that a periodical database abstract would provide for a scholarly article. I wonder why the Vatican saw the need for an Explanatory Note (which explains very little) and a Declaration to accompany the letter? Maybe they figured the media news sources couldn't be trusted to read and summarize for themselves. Isn't that a sad commentary when the news reporters have to be given Cliff's Notes in order to be able to do their job?

Christianity Today got it wrong in the opening salvo: "Pope Benedict XVI has sent a reconciliatory letter to Catholics in China hoping to re-establish relations between them and the Vatican." He addressed the letter to Catholics in China, and meanwhile he hopes to establish relations between the PRC and the Holy See. Is that too difficult to grasp? Why is this so challenging for reporters?

...a modicum of accuracy is all I'm asking...

I toured Godspy News and found nothing about the letter, but a whizbang website it is! You can now find it among my links.

Well, that was worth it :)