Any satellite radio subscribers out there? I’m not–yet–but I’ve been on the Catholic Channel on Sirius Radio a couple of times, mainly with Fr. Dave Dwyer and the Busted Halo crew, who are probably more my speed than the channel’s lead personality (well, after Cardinal Egan–”And now, a word from our sponsor…”), the inimitable Lino Rulli. Actually, he may be the imitator, rather than inimitable–or a channeler. Rulli (in this NYT photo) is “The Catholic Guy,” sort of the church’s answer to Don Imus, if there is an answer to Don Imus. Or if we even know the question.
Rulli’s guiding lights, according to this New York Times profile, are David Letterman, John Paul II and “the only genius in radio,” Howard Stern.
Check it out, and a money quote (well, pocket change) from yours truly:
David Gibson, a Catholic writer whose book “The Coming Catholic Church” describes a newly powerful grass-roots pressure for reform in the aftermath of the priest sexual abuse scandal, said the archdiocesan foray into talk radio may reflect some official acknowledgment of the need for a new, more interactive relationship with believers.
“The church really has no choice,” he said. “The old Catholic world, where you were born and married in the church and stayed because you were part of a ‘Catholic world’ — that’s gone. The church has to find people and make them want to be Catholic.”
So can these two worlds coexist? John Paul and Howard Stern? Can they feed off each other? Or must they conflict?
|
Previous Posts
Moving on, and many, many thanks...
So...my recent vacation and related absences also coincided with an offer from PoliticsDaily.com to cover religion for them, as editor Melinda Henneberger announces here in her roundup on the site's very successful first 100 days. That means, in short, that I'll have to sign off from blogging h
posted 8:29:24pm Aug. 02, 2009 |
read full post
»
Calvin at 500, Calvinism 2.0
If you thought you knew John Calvin--who turned 500 last week--you probably don't know enough. For example, that he was French, born Jean Cauvin. And if he was in fact scandalized by dancing, he was also a lot more complex than that. I explored the new look Calvin in an essay at PoliticsDaily, "Patr
posted 11:53:35am Jul. 16, 2009 |
read full post
»
Apologia pro vita sua...Kinda
In my defense, I've had computer outages and family reunions and a few days of single-parenthood, which is always a bracing reminder of what many parents go through all the time.
And this weekend it's off for a week's vacation.
Anyway, hence the long absence. Apologies to those who have chec
posted 10:51:36am Jul. 16, 2009 |
read full post
»
When Benny met Barry: "I'll pray for you!"
The first word via Vatican Radio and first image (that I saw) via Rocco:
Speaking to Vatican Radio, Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi said "moral values in international politics, immigration and the Catholic Church's contribution in developing countries" were key topics of discussio
posted 12:54:28pm Jul. 10, 2009 |
read full post
»
Signs of the times: Obama's eye
Yes, this photo of Obama ostensibly eyeing a young woman (apparently a 17-year-old delegate from Brazil--where are her parents?!) at the G-8 Summit is the hottest Google search item. And of course the question of what Obama was thinking is a leading Fox News story.
So it goes, even as the
posted 12:26:05pm Jul. 10, 2009 |
read full post
»
|
posted July 23, 2008 at 4:56 pm
To answer your question, it was The Catholic Channel on Sirius, specifically Lino Rulli’s show, that caused me to convert from being a baptist to Catholic. I’d say they’re doing a darn fine job.
posted July 23, 2008 at 4:57 pm
To answer your question, it was The Catholic Channel on Sirius, specifically Lino Rulli’s show, that caused me to convert from being a baptist to Catholic. I’d say they’re doing a darn fine job.
posted July 23, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I think you’ve got the story completely wrong. Then again, thats the advantage of a blog over actual journalism.
Lino definitely is not an imitator. No one has ever done entertainment in Catholic media. And comparing him to Don Imus is crazy. I’ve listened to Lino’s show enough to know he can’t stand Don Imus.
While Lino is my favorite, I like Father Dave’s show, as well. I love my Sirius radio (duh, that may be obvious by now) and the Catholic Channel has certainly got me interested in church again.
Just seemed really bizarre that your blog takes shots at Lino considering that the New York Times didn’t. But congrats on being quoted in an article in about him.
posted July 23, 2008 at 8:41 pm
You have a great story, Dustin, and glad the Catholic Channel drew you in. I imagine and hope there are many of you…But no need for you or Liz to get too defensive about Lino–I wasn’t taking any shots. (And if you do consider those “shots,” what do you call what you hear on Sirius?!) I was and am encouraging such entreprenurial instintcs by the church. But that Lino’s “shtick” (hope that doesn’t qualify as a shot) is of the same patter as Imus and Stern and others seems inarguable. Just as today’s comics owe so much to Lenny Bruce, it’s the way of the world.
Peace. David
posted July 24, 2008 at 7:10 pm
David,
You have lino all wrong. I like Dustin was pull back into the catholic faith. I was a nonpracticing catholic and now I listen to almost 100% catholic channel.I have got over my fear of confession and mass thanks to this show. I think god gave all of us a sense of humor and maybe lino is not your cup of tea, but a lot of people like Dustin and myself have either found faith or converted because of lino. Over his comedy and sketchiness, lino has a lot of information, if you bother to listen to the whole program (over time you can see continuity within the show) you will learn a lot. Even if he shows the same patter as Imus and Stern, the point is he evangelizes and brings people to god and the catholic church.
God Bless,
Alex Vargas
http://www.a–optic.com