The new movie, “Lost Souls,” has gotten more rotten reviews than any film in recent history. That’s good news given that the flick is such a rip-off of things Catholic: its treatment of exorcisms is particularly bad. “Lost Souls” stars Winona Ryder. She plays a Catholic woman who sets out to destroy the Antichrist. Her less than convincing... [Read more...]
MICHIGAN STATE PRESIDENT ACTS PRESIDENTIAL
After William Donohue registered a complaint on October 12 against the student newspaper at Michigan State University, he received a call on October 18 from the president of the school, Peter McPherson. McPherson conveyed his sincere outrage at the offense and read to Donohue a public statement he released on the subject. Here’s what happened. The... [Read more...]
NEEDLESSLY OFFENSIVE
Needlessly offensive is the way we characterized two recent items that crossed our desks. The October edition of Premiere magazine made quick mention of an upcoming movie called “Tomcats.” The film is a comedy about seven men who bet on who will be the last to marry. In one scene, a man stands in a Catholic church before a priest and altar... [Read more...]
PETA RIPS OFF CATHOLIC IMAGERY
On October 3, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched an advertising campaign that showed The Shroud of Turin along with the words, “Make a Lasting Impression—Go Vegetarian.” The international campaign, which originated in Turin, Italy, argued that Jesus was a vegetarian; it began on the eve of the feast day of St. Francis... [Read more...]
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE HOLOCAUST, 1930-1965
By Michael Phayer, Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis (2000) Reviewed by Robert P. Lockwood Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) faced Nazi Germany, as Secretary of State to Pius XI and as pope, with a remarkable consistency. The Nazis considered him an implacable foe, and he was hailed both during and after World War II as the strongest voice... [Read more...]
SEXUAL ROULETTE
The Holy Father has often said that freedom is the right to do what we ought to do. What we ought to do can be found in the Ten Commandments and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Now contrast this with what the dominant culture teaches—that freedom is the right to do whatever we want to do—and the disharmony is evident. When the popular... [Read more...]
THE DEEPEST BIAS
When Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. said anti-Catholicism was America’s “deepest bias,” he might have had in mind the extent to which well-educated people feel right at home expressing their bigotry towards Catholics. That’s what comes to mind when we ran across an issue of Booklist that took due note of an anti-Catholic book, and yet failed to... [Read more...]
THEIR IDEA OF FAIRNESS
Insight Media is a company that has a big catalog of videos and CD-ROMS for high school and college students. On the subject of religion, its selection is generally quite good. But generally isn’t quite good enough, not especially when it’s our religion that is singled out for bashing. The selections that deal with Christianity are fine, as... [Read more...]
TYPICAL GOVERNMENT ANSWER
Over the summer, we contacted Andrea Saltzberg Emodi, a government official at the Department of Corrections in Massachusetts. Her address is so long that it must make the Guinness Book of World Records. For those of you who doubt our word, here it is: Ms. Andrea Saltzberg Emodi Director of Program Services Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive... [Read more...]