Hey, anyone can make a mistake! Including diocesan newspapers.
Archbishop Robert James Carlson of St. Louis, MO recently ordained 25 men as permanent deacons, the largest ordination class the archdiocese has had in 41 years. Given the shortage of ordained men, that’s an amazing accomplishment and should be celebrated!
The newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the St. Louis Review, wanted to do just that, making it their cover story for this week.
There’s only one problem: they accidentally made a typo in their headline, reversing its meaning – and now their honest mistake is going viral on social media!
Here’s a picture of the headline:
The headline reads: “Not to serve, but to be served.”
If you’re not catching the problem, the headline is the exact opposite of the biblical phrase they certainly intended to publish, which is “Not to be served, but to serve.”
The phrase comes from the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.43-45)
The funny mistake is being shared widely on social media.
The newspaper has already issued a statement apologizing for the mistake on their website.
“Service to others is at the heart of the Catholic faith,” their statement reads, “and our headline accompanying in the story about the ordination of deacons incorrectly stated this important calling.
“The error embarrassed Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, the newly ordained deacons and the diaconate community, who selflessly put others first to serve. Similarly, the incorrect headline diminished the service ethic of clergy and religious, social justice and health care workers, teachers, public servants — all Catholics who give freely of themselves in service.
“Our readers expect more from us; we expect more of ourselves. We’re sorry for the mistake.”
You can read their full statement here.
Of course, this is just an honest mistake in which everyone can tell what their intention was. And maybe even get a good chuckle out of it!
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
[See also: The Astonishing Story of the Cardinal Who Went Undercover to Save the Drug Lord Pablo Escobar]
[See also: The 12 Tricks of the Anti-Christ to Steal Souls, According to the Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen]