Public Opinion and the Catholic Church. Norberto Gonzalez Gaitano. Rome, Italy: EDUSC, 2010. 114 pp. euro13,00 pbk.In Matthew 6:24 of the King James Version of the Bible, it is written that man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Such is the challenge facing Norberto Gonzalez Gaitano, professor at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, in Public Opinion and the Catholic Church.In a scant 114 pages, including an introduction, three chapters, appendix, and index, Gaitano attempts to examine objectively the intricacies of public opinion and the Church. He discusses how the news media frame issues involving the Church and what Church leaders should understand when communicating with the secular world.In his introduction, Russell Shaw, a noted author and adjunct professor of communications at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, says that Gaitano's work highlights the root causes of conflict between religion and modern news media.Does Jesus need the media or does the media need Jesus? Gaitano wonders in the first chapter. This simple question provides a starting point and insight into the comparative paradigm used to analyze criticisms made by Church officials and the media about each other. For example, the author notes that journalists view the Church as too secretive and too slow at disclosing basic facts that might cast it in a bad light. He also observes that journalists view Church officials as often seeking free publicity and preferential treatment. Additionally, reporters believe that members of the clergy frequently lack basic knowledge or understanding of the professional rules of journalism. Rounding out the key criticisms by the press, Gaitano writes, Many [journalists] also maintain that since we live in a pluralistic culture, no single religion should impose its moral vision on society in general.On the other side of the ledger, the author notes that Church criticism of the media has validity, too. Leading the list of protest is the view that news media dwell on controversy and shallow issues and fail in telling the story of the spiritual dimension of religion. The author claims that clergy often accuse journalists of media bias and promoting prejudice against Christian values.It is not easy to evaluate the effects of the media's prejudices and partiality, Gaitano writes. It is clear, though, that journalists' faith and moral values are relevant factors in the final result. The final criticism voiced by some Church officials is perhaps the most damning-that the media are not independent at all and are generally fearful of offending commercial interests (i. …