After a protest by the Catholic League, Texaco Inc. has withdrawn sponsorship of a controversial holiday festival. During the holiday season, the league complained to Texaco that the Festival of Trees and Lights displayed Jewish religious symbols but no Christian religious symbols; secular symbols associated with Christmas were all that were shown. “Upon... [Read more...]
The Packer Collegiate Institute, a prep school in Brooklyn, revised its “Holiday” program after a protest by the Catholic League. In December, the school held a holiday celebration that recognized Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but not Christmas. Students in the middle-school grades sang songs celebrating the Jewish and African-American holidays, but when... [Read more...]
The New York media have shown precious little interest in reporting on a pattern of vandalism that has struck Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York. On Christmas Eve, 300 gravestones were knocked over by vandals. On January 12, more than 100 other gravestones were desecrated and the cemetery’s tool shed was set on fire. Then on January 20 the vandals... [Read more...]
A bill that would secure protection for workers who desire to observe religious holidays without penalty has been passed by the Massachusetts legislature and signed by Governor William Weld. Unfortunately, the bill was not retroactive, thus leaving Kathleen Pielech and Patricia Reed—the two principals who were initially victimized when they didn’t... [Read more...]
Every December the Catholic League presses its case that crèches should adorn the public square. From public parks to public schools, league activists have succeeded in getting the authorities to recognize that it is unfair to deny the placement of a crèche when space has been provided for menorahs. This past December was no different. Reports of... [Read more...]
In mid-December, B.J. Rudell, a staffer for Congressman Bob Clement of Nashville, Tennessee, posted via e-mail and the Internet an offensive statement about the pope. In The Hotline: Daily Briefing on American Politics, Rudell submitted a list of the “Top Ten Surprising Confessions Made by the Pope.” Included in this “humorous”... [Read more...]
The Catholic League has threatened to take action against a school district in Northwestern Pennsylvania. After learning that students were barred from creating artwork that depicted a nativity scene, Dr. Donohue sent the following letter to the offending party. December 13, 1996 Ms. Alice Niebauer President, Millcreek Township School District Education... [Read more...]
There are any number of activist organizations that, for one reason or another, find cause to bash the Catholic Church. Catholics for a Free Choice—which is neither Catholic nor an organization—comes immediately to mind (we didn’t bother to log their work because to do so would require a whole volume unto itself). But it is also true that there... [Read more...]
1996 In a catalog of its books, Barnes & Noble featured a long description of a book called The Love Affairs of the Vatican. Calling the book “controversial,” it read: “He [the author] also reveals that the immorality of the Catholic clergy was the direct result of the law of enforced celibacy imposed by Pope Gregory VII (himself... [Read more...]
January A Catholic high school student applied for the Jefferson Scholars Program at the University of Virginia. He was asked the following questions about his religion during the course of an interview: “What is your relationship with God?”; “Do you believe in the infallibility of the Pope?”; “What if the Pope said something... [Read more...]