The House of Blues is a string of nightclubs found in large metropolitan areas. We once had a problem with its logo, a rendition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but thanks in large part to the efforts of the late Cardinal Bernardin, we were able to convince the owner of the chain that its logo should be modified. Now the New Orleans club has drawn... [Read more...]
FUNDING FOR “POPE AND WITCH” HURT NEA
The Catholic League’s recent criticism of federal funds being used to support an anti-Catholic play was used as a reason to deny more money to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This past spring the league denounced NEA support for the Dario Fo play, “The Pope and the Witch.” The play is a vicious attack on the pope, priests and nuns... [Read more...]
“OVERGROWN CATHOLIC SCHOOLGIRL”?
Linda Chavez is a brilliant commentator and a committed Catholic; she serves on the league’s board of advisors. She recently quit the TV talk show, “To the Contrary,” after being personally insulted by host Bonnie Erbe. In doing so, she followed the lead of Kate O’Beirne, also of our advisory board, who found the incivility of the show to... [Read more...]
PROGRESS ON ANTI-CATHOLIC ADS
The on-going struggle to protest the placement of anti-Catholic ads in major newspapers is working: we have successfully stopped dozens of these ads from reappearing. The latest to respect our message is the Huntsville Times of Huntsville, Alabama. The editor, Joe Distelheim, actually wrote an editorial on the subject explaining to readers why... [Read more...]
PRO-LIFE SPEECH SQUASHED
This past spring, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City squashed pro-life speech. In both instances, the ads were considered too offensive to be accepted. The ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer was a quarter-page submission paid for by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops; it was coordinated... [Read more...]
QUOTABLE
Catholic Press Association, Baltimore, MD, 5/25/00 WILLIAM DONOHUE: “You don’t run a civil rights organization the way you run a soup kitchen. I will be apologetic to no one about this. We confront people in the public square…Those who think dialogue is the god, go ahead and dialogue and see how far it gets you. Try to sit down with... [Read more...]
OKLAHOMA OFFICIALS ADDRESS FLAP AT ROGERS STATE
In June, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, along with state lawmakers and education officials, jumped into the fray at Rogers State University. The school came under fire by the Catholic League for offering an art appreciation telecourse that features anti-Catholic imagery. The resulting media fanfare, which hit big in the Sooner state, led public... [Read more...]
AL ROKER INSULTS NUNS; GETS GREASED BY FLO HENDERSON
The “Today” show weatherman, Al Roker, made the rounds on talk TV shows in June promoting his new book. Unfortunately, every chance he got he told an insulting joke about nuns. That drew the ire of the Catholic League and a flurry of media interest. Things got worse when “Later Today” show host Florence Henderson asked Roker about our... [Read more...]
SCORE ONE FOR PIUS XII
The unfairly maligned Pope Pius XII recently won the praise of one of the world’s most renowned historians, Sir Martin Gilbert. In his new book, Never Again: A History of the Holocaust, the British scholar credits Pius XII for his efforts in saving the lives of Jews. When interviewed about his lastest book, Gilbert said: “It’s somehow a mistake... [Read more...]
WILLIAM E. SIMON, R.I.P.
The Catholic Church lost a great one when she lost William E. Simon. Bill was known mostly for his entrepreneurial acumen and financial savvy, but he was much more than that—he was a fierce defender of his faith. Indeed, it made great sense to have him serve on our board of advisors as he epitomized the style and substance of the Catholic League. Bill... [Read more...]