July 31, 2002
On the home page of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) website, democrats.org, there is a link to organizations of interest. Last week, under the “Catholic” heading, there was one group listed, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC). After syndicated columnist Mark Shields mentioned this as his “Outrage of the Week” on last weekend’s... [Read more...]
BILL O’REILLY BLASTS THE POPEJuly 30, 2002
The “O’Reilly Factor” show that aired last night on the Fox News Channel saw host Bill O’Reilly blast Pope John Paul II for not meeting with the victims of priestly sexual molestation. O’Reilly complained that the pope would not even allow 30 minutes to meet with the survivors. He also said he could not believe that Jesus would have acted... [Read more...]
THE PEDOPHILE AS HERO: JEAN GENET’S “ELLE” COMES TO NEW YORKJuly 25, 2002
The French playwright Jean Genet penned “Saintete” in the 1950s and it is now being performed in New York as “Elle.” The play recently opened at the Zipper, an off-Broadway site, and will close July 31. The play thrashes the papacy in particular and Catholicism in general. Catholic League president William Donohue took note of the literary... [Read more...]
CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST GROUP SEEKS BAN ON QURAN AT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAJuly 23, 2002
The Family Policy Network, a Virginia-based activist organization, has filed suit in federal district court challenging the right of the University of North Carolina to require incoming freshmen to read selections from the Quran. The organization holds that the book, Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations, should not be assigned summer reading... [Read more...]
LUNATIC FRINGE CONFRONTS POPE IN TORONTOJuly 23, 2002
Catholic League president William Donohue comments today on the beginning of World Youth Day in Toronto: “In addition to the hundreds of thousands of young people assembled in Toronto to enthusiastically greet the Holy Father, a motley crew of malcontents has slumbered their way there as well. Consider the following. “Joanna Manning, a former... [Read more...]
BISHOPS MAKE PROGRESS; MUCH WORK REMAINSJuly 23, 2002
When the bishops assembled in Dallas on June 13, they did so in a climate of apprehensiveness. Two days later, they left in a mood of contentment. While not everyone was happy with the charter that was approved (including many who voted for it), a calmness was finally evident. The U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse floated a draft... [Read more...]
VOUCHER VICTORYJuly 23, 2002
On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow school vouchers. The Catholic League filed a friend-of-the-court brief in this case. Here is an excerpt from our news release on the subject: “This is a victory for the poor that triumphed over the so-called champions of the poor. Condemned to failing public schools in Cleveland, the poor... [Read more...]
THE DEEDS OF DALLASJuly 23, 2002
When the cardinals left Rome in April, they came away with a statement that most branded inadequate. The same judgment befell the draft document of the bishops prior to the Dallas meeting. After Dallas, there is still much discontent, but a closer look at the survey data reveal a Church on the mend. In Dallas, the bishops voted 239-13 in favor of... [Read more...]
OF STEREOTYPES AND HEROESJuly 23, 2002
by Dr. Richard C. Lukas Nowhere is the politicization of history and its practitioners more evident than in the recent writings of a number of historians of the Holocaust era. The temptations of glitz, glamour and money seem to have influenced some historians to sensationalize their subjects to get noticed by the media. Instead of writing history as... [Read more...]
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO BISHOPS ISSUEDJuly 23, 2002
Just before the bishops assembled in Dallas for their meeting, we issued the following cautionary note in the form of a news release: “Even before the meeting begins, some activists have branded it a failure. Consider Call to Action. Its spokeswoman, Linda Pieczynski, is quoted as saying, ‘We don’t really trust the bishops to do... [Read more...]