Movies
January
The movie “Boondock Saints” portrayed two Irish Catholic twins who decide to go on a killing spree after hearing a sermon at Mass. The sermon is about the results of good men doing nothing to stop evil. The film contains extensive use of Catholic imagery including oversized crucifixes worn by the main characters during their killings.
January 24
Independent filmmaker Tim Disney (the son of Roy and grandnephew of Walt) premiered the movie “Blessed Art Thou” at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is about a monk who is thought to be homosexual because he is visited by the angel Gabriel. Locked up by his superiors, he turns into a pregnant woman. Movie critic Jonathan Foreman reviewed the film saying, “It’s hard to imagine Walt Disney making a movie so likely to enrage Catholics.” He also wrote that the movie was an attack on the Catholic Church, portraying it at odds with true spirituality.
February
The 20th Century Fox movie, “The Closer You Get,” opened and featured a negative portrayal of a priest and the Catholic Church. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “…[the movie] implies unmistakably that Roman Catholicism’s puritanical tradition, which tends to set the flesh and the spirit at war, plays a pivotal part in keeping the villagers emotionally crippled as well as sexually frustrated.”
March 31
Fine Features releases a film called “Buddy Boy.” The movie is about a repressed Catholic who lives with his alcoholic mother; she uses the Catholic religion to make her son feel bad about himself. The New Times Los Angeles writes, the movie “opens with grainy footage of crucifixes and elaborate church altars, then transits to an image of our protagonist Francis…masturbating to a centerfold of two giant breasts.” Fine Features also produced the anti-Catholic movie “Julien Donkey-Boy.”
April 21
The movie “The Virgin Suicides” opened in select theatres in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The story involves five Catholic girls who all eventually commit suicide. Catholic imagery is apparent throughout the film. The New York Times said the movie involves boys who “seek to free the girls from the prison of their strict Catholic household.” The San Jose Mercury News said we learn of a “guilt-racked Catholic [mother] ready to lock girls away like so many story-book Rapunzels.”
November
Fox Searchlight, a division of 20th Century Fox, released “Quills,” a fictional account of the Marquis de Sade. A major character in the movie is a priest, Abbe Coulmier, played by Joaquin Phoenix. In history, Abbe Coulmier was a four-foot tall hunchback, and a celibate. In the movie, he is portrayed as a “liberal-minded, good-looking young priest” who has a relationship with Sade and sex with a dead laundress.
Music
May 13
New York, NY — A singing group called “The Nuns” performed at a New York City nightclub called Click & Drag @ Mother. The group was described in the press as consisting of “lesbian vampire beauties.”
November 8
A new CD released by Cher called “Not Commercial” included the song “Sisters of Mercy” that describes the Catholic order of nuns as “daughters of hell,” “mothers of shame,” “twisters of truth,” and “daughters of war.” Among many offensive lines in the song which E! Online called a “diatribe against nuns,” the Sisters are said to “hide behind pious faces like the guilty always do.” The Catholic League called the song “defamatory” and that “taking a cheap shot at nuns costs nothing in Hollywood and may even be cause for celebration.”
November
A new CD by Marilyn Manson titled “Holy Wood” was released and was replete with anti-Catholic lyrics and songs, including “Godeatgod” and “Cruci-fixion in Space.” Manson appears dressed as a bishop with a cross behind him in his video “Disposable Teens,” and wears a papal miter while performing. When the Catholic League charged that Manson’s music is anti-Catholic, Manson posted on his Internet site the response that, “I can’t possibly be at war with Christ, because your religion killed him and what he stood for. But if you want to be at war with me…bring it on.” In a review of a Manson concert in New York City, Ann Powers of the New York Times noted without disapproval Manson’s anti-Catholic taunts.
November 18
Westbury, NY — Performer Englebert Humperdinck told a joke in the middle of his stage show at the Westbury Music Fair. The joke, involving a priest, nun and a camel, offended audience members to the point where they contacted the Catholic League to complain.
November 27
New York, NY — Rock singer Marilyn Manson, promoting his new CD “Holy Wood,” played the Hammerstein Ballroom. The New York Daily News said, “By the time he finished, 75 minutes later, he had assumed the guise of a fascist leader, a menacing bishop, a towering Christmas tree and an insect-like cripple atop 10-foot crutches.”
Newspapers
January 19
Los Angeles, CA — Columnist M.H. Berg wrote a piece for the Los Angeles Timesabout her problem explaining religion to her daughter. A lapsed Catholic, she described Catholicism as a “magic show with smoky scents and costumes.” She wrote how she resented the exclusion of women from the priesthood as well as the Church’s position on birth control.
January 25
Long Island, NY — Newsday ran the Eternal Gospel Church ad called “Earth’s Final Warning.” The ad, paid for by a splinter group of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, called the Catholic Church the Mother of Harlots in the Book of Revelation and insinuates the pope is seeking to wield undue influence over the U.S. government.
January 26
Daytona Beach, FL — Matt Gowen, staff writer for the Flagler/Palm Coast News-Tribune wrote a column about his trip to a Methodist Church. In describing his experience, he characterized Catholic Mass as “boring” and entailing “munching on a wafer” while being “told to sit still and listen.”
January 30
Kansas City, MO — Beginning in its January 30th edition, the Kansas City Star ran a series of articles claiming an AIDS epidemic in the priesthood caused by the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, the practice of celibacy and the failure of the Church to teach “safe sex” in seminaries.
The series also claimed that the Church was attempting to hide the epidemic and, as a result, priests with the disease died alone and without support. The series was based, in part, on a survey conducted of Catholic priests by the Star and investigation of death certificates of priests which claimed to show that the death rate among priests was four times the general population rate.
An examination of the Star’s survey of priests by Center for Media and Public Affairs, found it fundamentally flawed, based on only a 27 percent response rate. There was also no geographic or demographic balance sought in the responses. Even with this, the Star’s conclusions did not fit the results of the survey. The Catholic League pointed out that the survey data showed exactly one-half of one percent of the respondents have HIV or AIDS.
Only 3.6 percent of the priests responding were critical of how the Church has responded to the problem. Seventy percent of the respondents did not call for a change in Church teaching on homosexuality, while 66 percent did not believe that removing celibacy would be an effective response.
Additionally, the Star’s claim of a higher rate was in error as it compared the death rate to the general population, rather than to adult males. Adjusted accordingly, there was no discernable difference. In addition, the investigation into death rates was flawed as it made national claims based on regional investigation.
The Catholic League charged that the survey and series smacked on an agenda, rather than a serious investigation.
February 2
Boston, MA — Columnist Alex Beam wrote a piece in the Boston Globe about Indulgences titled, “Time has Come to Once Again Indulge Yourself.” The issue was in the news as the Church had announced special indulgences for the Jubilee Year 2000. In the article he wrote, “Catholicism formally abandoned the sale of get-out-of-Purgatory cards in 1567” and “I’m a big fan of the present pope, and generally an admirer of the One True Church. But let’s make one thing clear. Jesus Christ never sold or granted indulgences. Quite the opposite. They were an invention of the 14th century Church bureaucracy, which often used the proceeds to build cathedrals, hospitals—or just line their pockets.”
February 8
Framingham, MA — Columnist Brian Carovillano wrote in the MetroWest Daily Newsabout the overpopulation problem and the Church. In the column titled “The Overpopulation Pope,” Carovillano wrote, “From now on, the blame for resulting deaths from starvation and wars fought over natural resources should be squarely pointed at the Vatican, which continues to dwell in Medieval times.”
February 23
Burlington, VT — Peter Freyne’s column in the newspaper Seven Days started out as commentary on recent protests by Catholic priests against same sex marriages in Vermont. It quickly turned into a tirade against the Church, which he says “…stand[s] against civil rights for gay and lesbian Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Vermonters.” He continued his rant, “Yeah right, like where in the laws of God does it say to run bingo games? Where does it tell the pope to cozy up to Adolph Hitler?”
March
A horrific incident that took place in Montreal, Canada went completely unreported in the United States. Fifteen masked vandals entered Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal, overturning flowerpots, sticking sanitary napkins—some soiled—to paintings and walls. They denounced the Church’s teachings on abortion, homosexuality and sex education. Not one U.S. newspaper reported on the incident although in the same time period, the New York Times ran a story about the controversy in Montreal and all of Quebec over whether Pokemon cards should be issued in French.
March 14
Vancouver, WA — The Columbian, southern Washington’s largest daily newspaper, ran an ad paid for by the Eternal Gospel Church of Seventh Day Adventists, a splinter group not associated with SDA. The ad identified the Catholic Church as the “WHORE” and the “BEAST,” and charged the Holy Father with breaking down the barriers between church and state. After being contacted by the Catholic League, the paper admitted running it was inappropriate and that it would not run it again.
March 14
Fresno, CA — The newspaper advertisement from the Eternal Gospel Church was run again, this time in the Fresno Bee. After a complaint from the Catholic League and Bishop John T. Steinbock of the Diocese of Fresno, the newspaper responded in a manner unlike any other newspaper that ran the ad and later apologized. Publisher Keith Moyer wrote, “free expression—even when offensive to many or few—is essential to maintaining a free society. It is not the first time the Catholic Church…has been attacked, nor will it be the last. Fortunately, the church has survived and flourished despite its critics—as has the Bee.”
March 20
Los Angeles, CA — Columnist Shawn Hubler of the Los Angeles Times, wrote a piece about the Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage. Hubler implied the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was guilty of bigotry for supporting California’s Proposition 22, an anti-gay marriage referendum.
March 30
Houston, TX — Richard Connolly wrote in the Houston Press about a new baseball park in Houston. His column took the form of a joke in which some “memos” he found read: “There is a Catholic Church right across the street from the new stadium. I am reliably told that not only do they offer bread and wine at their services, but apparently there is some kind of floor show involved, a magician who transforms those things into the ‘body and blood of Christ,’ Christ being some kind of prophet dude.” He continues, “At any rate, while I am told the wafers don’t really offer much in the way of taste, could it be any worse than the chips and salsa at some of the so-called Mexican places around town?”
April 4
North Port, FL — A newspaper advertisement strikingly similar to the one frequently paid for by the Eternal Gospel Church of Seventh Day Adventists appeared in North Port Sun-Herald. The sponsor this time was the Sweetwater Seventh Day Adventist Church. It too called the Catholic Church the “WHORE” and the “BEAST,” and charged the Holy Father with breaking down the barriers between church and state.
April 9
Hackensack, NJ — The advertisement from the Sweetwater Seventh Day Adventist Church appeared in The Record newspaper.
April 19
New York, NY — Mike Farragher’s article in the Irish Voice titled, “Irish, Jewish…and Proud Of It!” was about his interfaith marriage. In the article he described how he tried not to have a crucifix at his wedding so as not to offend the Jewish guests. When the chapel had an image of Jesus, he quickly explained that the chaplain “was a huge Bee Gees fan who thought a picture of Barry Gibb…would look good on the altar.” He also suggested “drive-thru” windows so Catholics with children could receive “McSacraments.”
April 23
Portland, OR — The Oregonian newspaper ran an ad Easter Sunday morning paid for by the Sweetwater Seventh-day Adventist Church. The ad was the often seen “Earth’s Final Warning.” The ad claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was the “Whore of Babylon” and that the pope was conspiring with the U.S. government.
When contacted about the ad, the president of the Oregonian Publishing Company, Patrick Stickel, said, “…we think long and hard about censoring anyone.” And “We don’t find this [the ad] graphically displeasing, and we find it easier for readers who don’t like it to turn the page.” Catholic League president William Donohue wrote to Stickel asking if the paper accepts every ad it receives, prints every op-ed piece submitted or would run an ad from an anti-gay group.
April 20-26
Milwaukee, WI — The weekly The Onion featured a section that declared, “Hey kids! The Easter Bunny will be hop-hop-hopping along before you know it! In the meantime, here are some super-fun Easter cards for you to cut out.” The pictures included: a duck wearing a crown of thorns and carrying a cross, Jesus wearing rabbit ears with an Easter basket on his arm, and a crucified Easter bunny with the inscription INRI above his head.
May
Huntsville, AL — The Huntsville Times ran the anti-Catholic ad “EARTH’S FINAL WARNING” put out by the Eternal Gospel Church, a splinter group of the Seventh-Day Adventists. After a protest by the Catholic League, editor Joe Distelheim wrote an editorial explaining why it was a mistake to run the ad in the first place.
May 7
Boston, MA — Boston Herald columnist Margery Eagan, in a piece about her son’s First Communion, decided to include a diatribe against the institutional Church writing, “Clearly the Catholic Church needs better public relations. It needs someone to tell those who got beaten up by nuns, those who have had abortions, those who are continually embarrassed by a hierarchy’s anti-gay rhetoric, or are just plain uninformed that it’s not all about a hierarchy anymore. That in the pews, despite what you read, it’s not endless harangues against sex, women; sex gays; sex birth control; sex, sex and more sex.”
May 24
San Francisco, CA — Scott Ostler’s column in the San Francisco Chronicle featured a section called “Today’s Theological Stumper.” It said, “To all those who believe that letting Jesus into your heart can cure homosexuality, one question: Why doesn’t it work on priests?”
June 2
Munster, IN — The newspaper The Times contained an article by Pat Colander called “Fat Irma’s three great predictions and how they all turned out.” The piece was about an apparition of a woman to truck drivers regarding road construction, road congestion and transportation. It said the Teamsters Union recently unveiled the third secret of “Fat Irma,” a reference to the Church and the apparitions at Fatima.
June 4
San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Examiner carried an article by Stephanie Salter called “Judging Sister Jeannine: What would Jesus Say?” about the Church disciplining Sister Jeannine Gramick for insubordination as it pertained to her work with gays and lesbians. The article probed into the internal Church matter in the form of a letter to Jesus.
June 4
New York, NY — Michael Lewis wrote a piece for the New York Times Magazine about Lindy Boggs. In describing her work at the American Embassy at the Vatican, Lewis took a cheap shot saying how “…she had clearly learned that a woman in her mid-80s surrounded by men in dresses sworn to vows of celibacy can say whatever she pleases.” No comments about the clothing of other religious people were included in the article.
June 7
Pittsburgh, PA — Mary Jo Kramer wrote a column in the INPGH Weekly about her trip to Lourdes, France. To prepare for the pilgrimage, it was necessary to “smoke a bowl, dress Catholic and ready to meet the Virgin.” She described “nuns with cell phones…Virgin Mary snow domes, lighters, clocks [and] pencil kits.”
June 8
Seattle, WA — The alternative publication Seattle Weekly ran a column by Judy McGuire called “Dategirl” that featured an attack on Catholicism. In the article McGuire wrote in part, “Four years at St. Thomas the Apostle grade school combined with 16 years attending Mass on at least a weekly basis have earned me the right to Catholic-bash. It’s a repressive, hypocritical religion run by mean-spirited men….” It continued, “Nothing makes a girl feel more badass than stumbling home past primly dressed parishioners early Sunday morning, still wearing last night’s sequined skirt (now on backwards)…all the while emitting the delicate (and enticing) aroma of semen, cigarettes, and stale beer.”
June 9
Philadelphia, PA — Thom Nickels wrote an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer called “Spiritual don’t ask/don’t tell.” In the article he writes, “Why did God create a homosexual orientation and then decide acting on such impulses would be wrong?” and “To be sure, there are many progressive priests and nuns working on the behalf of gays and lesbians…despite Vatican pronouncements.” Catholic League president William Donohue wrote a letter to the editor pointing out many other human impulses have to be repressed and that the Vatican supports ministering to gays and lesbians.
June 29
Washington, DC — The Washington Post ran a feature on Oprah Winfrey in its “Life & Arts” section. It was titled, “Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” The article was accompanied by illustrations of Winfrey similar to the iconography of the Blessed Mother.
July 2
Detroit, MI — Columnist Susan Ager, writing in the Detroit Free Press, questioned the propriety and meaning behind Pope John Paul II having lunch with 200 homeless people. She asked, “Does an expansive lunch…do more for the poor or the conscience of the Catholic Church?” She pointed out that 9 homeless people died in Rome last year “while millions of dollars were spent to spruce up buildings for the holy year 2000 visitors.” She did not point out the city of Rome and country of Italy paid for the improvements which were not requested by the Church.
July 12
Akron, OH — The Akron Beacon Journal ran an ad by the Eternal Gospel Church called “Earth’s Final Warning.” It describes the pope as the anti-Christ and the Church as being “the whore of Babylon” and being in conspiracy with the U.S. government.
August 19
Phoenix, AZ — When the “Earth’s Final Warning” ad appeared in the Arizona Republic.Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien of Phoenix demanded an apology and the Catholic League supported him in this effort. In the August 26th edition, advertising vice president David Alley wrote a sincere apology to readers for running the ad. The Catholic League wrote to Mr. Alley to congratulate him for his “journalistic integrity.”
August 22
New York, NY — The Village Voice featured a book review written by David Bowman. It was a review of The Toy Collector by James Gunn. The review read, in part, “the James Gunn in the novel is a lapsed Catholic. I stopped going to church for a long time, but started again after I met a great priest out of St. Louis who told me I could make up what Catholicism was and believe what I wanted to believe….I gave a reading of The Toy Collector [and] read a passage about heterosexual anal sex. St. Louis is 75 percent Catholic. There has to be one Catholic who says, ‘Listen, I’m a fan of anal sex.'”
August 26
Atlanta, GA — Roger Kintzel of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution apologized to readers for running the anti-Catholic “Earth’s Final Warning” advertisement from the Eternal Gospel Church in the August 26th edition
September
Ft. Lauderdale, FL — The New Times Broward-Palm Beach ran a “Jesus of the Week 2000” contest asking readers to send in images of what they think Jesus would look like in the year 2000. The reviews included: “Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s plane! No, It’s Christ on a kite!” and “Well, you might not want to take that lying down with the lamb thing too far, bub. It’s good to bless the beasts and all that, and maybe a rock-climbing savior who’s into extreme sports would make a good fit for the new millennium.” Another description was, “This week’s contestant, the lovely Heather Cornwell, has us thinking about this Messiah makeover project in a whole new light. To quote Ms. Cornwell, ‘The Jesus of the new millennium is a woman, because what’s more loving and comforting than breasts? I offer you myself as Jesus.'”
September 7
Boston, MA — In a letter to the Boston Globe, Mr. Paul Kelley of Reading, MA tried to justify contemporary anti-Catholicism by writing, “Pius IX’s reliance on reactionary forces to preserve the Papal States, his opposition to unification and republican institutions in Italy, and the illiberal views enunciated in his Syllabus of Errors make understandable anti-Catholic attitudes in America.”
September 8
Frederick, MD — Frederick Post columnist Roy Meachum wrote an article about recent events in the Catholic Church titled, “Unholy Week.” In it, Meachum called the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith “…the old Holy Office of the Inquisition given a more politically correct name.” He accused Catholic officials of saying, “Heaven and its choicest corners were strictly reserved for Roman Catholics. No others need apply, no matter how holy their lives.”
September 17
Springfield, IL — Episcopal minister Tom Ehrich, writing in the State-Journal of Springfield, IL, said of the Vatican document on salvation, “…this puffery by a Vatican inner circle—small-minded institutionalists who find derivative life in milling about a throne—embarrasses millions of hard-working Catholics ….” And, “Second, and sadder, in this glimpse into a dark side of Christianity: the tendency to live for show, the desire for worldly wealth and power, the tendency to value noise over substance, right opinion over servanthood, the past over the present….”
September 18
Toledo, OH — Toledo Blade columnist Patrick O’Gara wrote a piece about recent events in the Catholic Church. O’Gara referred to the pope as “The Man in the Vatican Beanie.” O’Gara also wrote, “Catholics believe Mahatma Gandhi, surely one of the undisputed holy men of recorded history, didn’t make it to heaven because he was a Hindu. Too bad. He could have spent eternity chatting with the corrupt and murderous Borgia popes, who presumably dwell there today.”
September 26
Detroit, MI — The September 26th edition of the Detroit Free Press ran an editorial cartoon by Mike Thompson opposed to school vouchers. While all six cells of the cartoon ridiculed vouchers, in the last cell reference was made to a “Vouch-O-Matic” machine that destroys the Constitution, sucks millions out of public education and blinds the voters. Readers were told, “To Order, Rush Your Tax Dollars To: The Roman Catholic Church.” The Catholic League responded asking why a public policy issue such as school vouchers cannot be discussed without the use of anti-Catholic rhetoric.
October 4
Athens, OH — The Athens Messenger ran the “Earth’s Final Warning” anti-Catholic advertisement from the Eternal Gospel Church. On being contacted by William Donohue, the publisher of the newspaper assured the Catholic League that the advertisement would not run again and ran a statement of regret to newspaper readers.
October 8-9
Baltimore, MD — The Baltimore Sun apologized to readers for running anti-Catholic “Earth’s Final Warning” advertisements in the October 8th and 9th editions from the Eternal Gospel Church.
October 8, November 26
Rockville, MD — The Montgomery Journal ran the “Earth’s Final Warning” hate ads. When first contacted by the Catholic League, the publisher responded that his newspaper was “very liberal.” He conceded, however, that he would not run an advertisement from the KKK and that he would review the matter again and was “leaning toward not accepting such an ad if it was placed again.” The Catholic League also protested placement of the ad in The Journal of Martinsburg, West Virginia, the Austin American-Statesman, and the Des Moines Register.
October 15
San Bernardino, CA — After the Catholic League complained about The Sun publishing the “Earth’s Final Warning” advertisement, the publisher notified the Catholic League that those who were involved in accepting the advertisement had served notice of resignation. He responded that the decision to accept the advertisement was “extremely poor” and that the newspaper “will be careful not to accept such advertising in the future.”
November 2
Boston, MA — Boston Herald columnist Margery Eagan wrote a column about the disciplining of a Catholic nun for carrying out duties reserved for priests. Eagan said the nun was “banished to the gulag.” She suggested, “Perhaps crucifixion is the next logical step.”
November 5
Kansas City, MO — In a follow-up to its series from January 2000, the Kansas City Starclaimed to have uncovered 300 cases where priests had died from AIDS between 1987 and 1998. The Star quoted Richard Selik of the Center for Disease Control as saying there was a “significant” difference between the AIDS death rates of priests and the AIDS death rates of adult males. This was to buttress claims of the original series, that there is an AIDS epidemic among priests caused by mandatory celibacy and Church teaching on homosexuality. When contacted by the Catholic League, Selik stated that by “significant” he only meant that the difference was unlikely to be the result of chance. He pointed out two limitations of the Star survey: the data were culled from just 14 states and may not be representative of the country; and that the study was not age-adjusted between priests and the adult male population.
November 8
Spokane, WA — The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, WA ran a short item in its November 8th issue announcing a talk and book signing by Father Robert Spitzer, the president of Gonzaga University. The headline for the short notice read, “Nazi priest promotes his book.”
When William Donohue called to complain, the response was that it was an “error” and there would be an apology in the next issue. Donohue responded that it was not an error but a deliberate defamation as Father Spitzer had banned a Planned Parenthood representative from speaking on the university campus that past spring. He stated the person responsible should be fired.
The Catholic League contacted newspapers throughout the country and blanketed radio and television stations in Spokane. Within 24 hours Robin Moody, who wrote the defamatory headline, was asked to resign by the newspaper’s editors. Moody had been the president of the women’s studies club at Gonzaga who had invited the Planned Parenthood representative to Gonzaga.
November 11
New York, NY — The New York Law Journal published a photo essay called “Eyewitness.” It was called “Arrest records from an exhibition of police memorabilia, White Plains City Court.” The essay featured mug shots of a nun and a priest. The photographer, Rick Kopstein, refused to return calls seeking the meaning behind the nun and priest being in the essay.
December 7
Milwaukee, WI — The parody newspaper The Onion ran a lead story titled, “Vatican Warns Against Increasingly Healthy Attitudes Towards Sex.” The story read, in part, “Alarmed by rising rates of pleasurable, mutually fulfilling acts of physical love among Catholics, the Vatican issued a statement Monday warning against healthy attitudes towards sex.”
December 8
New York, NY — The Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story on how few women in Mexico and Italy use tampons. The authors of the story acknowledged that the Church has no position on tampons, yet claimed that Catholicism was the reason tampons were not utilized. The authors said that “some priests have spoken out against the product, associating it with birth control and sexual activities that are forbidden by the Church.” When contacted by the Catholic League, one of the authors, Emily Nelson, could not produce the name of any priest who had made such a statement.
Periodicals
January
Ohio — The “Devil’s Advocate” column written by Randy Allen and appearing in theOhio Farmer and The Farmer magazines addressed the recent accord between Lutherans and Catholics. Allen implied the Church has changed its teaching on justification. It also compared Church membership and hierarchy to the USDA. Allen did not similarly ridicule the Lutheran faith.
February
Fodor’s Exploring Italy travel guide contained comments about the Vatican and Catholicism. Included was a joke comparing the typical Italian mother and son to Mary and Jesus. The guide described the Church as “in apparent decline and no longer obsessed with political power.”
February
Harrisburg, PA — Central PA Magazine featured artwork by Robert Gober called “Untitled.” Gober used a New York Times headline and byline and inserted a picture of himself wearing a bride’s dress in an attempt to push his gay marriage agenda. Gober changed the headline of the Times piece from “Vatican Condones Gay Rights Limits” to “Vatican Condones Discrimination Against Homosexuals.” He left intact the name of the Times writer of the original piece, Peter Steinfels. The actual text of the article was not legible in the artwork.
March 12
Slate magazine’s Jack Shafer wrote a piece in response to a column in the New York Times Magazine about anti-Catholicism. Shafer wrote, “If anti-Catholic bigotry exists in America, it might have something to do with the Catholic Church’s past conduct. Just this weekend, His Holiness John Paul II conceded as much when he finally got around to apologizing to the world for 2000 years of Catholic wickedness.” Shafer also compared the pope to Louis Farrakhan: “But tap-dancing away from accountability more beautifully than Farrakhan, the pope absolved the Catholic Church of blame because it is ‘holy and immaculate.'”
April 3
The magazine The Nation ran a piece by Katha Pollitt after the papal apology. In the article titled, “Regrets Only,” Pollitt wrote, “That the Pope decided to acknowledge the historical wrongs of the church shows how weak it has become….The Pope can rail against contemporary Catholics for secularism and religious indifference all he wants, and blame the people in the pews for the actions of the hierarchy, but modernity is stronger than he is: look who is apologizing.”
May
Philadelphia, PA — The Philadelphia Trumpet, a magazine published by the Philadelphia Church of God, had a cover story called “The Next Pope.” The article says the Church is in a period of “unprecedented danger” as reformers try to take power from conservatives. The article also relies heavily on the writings of John Cornwell, author of Hitler’s Pope, including the contention Pope Pius XII was a “fascist sympathizer” who didn’t help the Jews and helped Nazis escape after the war.
June
Bonsall, CA — A magazine called Pagan Revival (subtitled Celebrating 2,000 Years of Cultural Imperialism and Genocide) featured 48 pages of attacks against the Catholic Church. Its cover featured a depiction of hell with the caption, “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”
August
Philadelphia, PA — Philadelphia Magazine ran a piece by Sally Hingston that ridiculed a website run by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The website, called blessme.org, has a question and answer section dedicated to answering sensitive questions Catholic might have about Church teaching, including those about sex. Hingston wrote the site “might wind up on the hit-lists of perverts seeking kinky self-pleasuring tips.”
August
The August edition of Car and Driver did a short piece about Pope John Paul II’s new limousine donated by the auto manufacturer Fiat. The piece said the car “features a sliding hardtop that descends into the trunk so that the Pope can stumble into the back seat without bending over…It is not known yet whether the pope, after every ride, kisses the ground or prays he’ll be reincarnated as Bernie Ecclestone.”
October
The October issue of Premiere magazine mentioned a movie called “Tomcats” and ran a photo from one scene. A man dressed in a tuxedo stands before a priest and an altar boy. He has an obvious erection and the caption below the photo says the groom “gets a lift from some Viagara-spiked wine.”
October
Free American is a magazine published by a patriot/fundamentalist group that hates Catholics and claims a worldwide Jesuit conspiracy. According to Free American, the Jesuits run everything from the CIA to the Israeli Mussad. They caused the French Revolution and controlled Napoleon. Among other things, the Jesuits are also charged with controlling the drug trade.
November 20
The New Republic ran a cartoon to illustrate a feature that had Barbara Bush holding George W. Bush in the pose of Michelangelo’s Pieta. In a letter printed in a subsequent edition, Catholic League president William Donohue noted that “it is obvious you could have made your point without insulting Christians.”
December
The magazine Maxim printed a piece called “Three Reasons to hate…Mother Teresa.” Based on a book by Christopher Hitchens, the piece accused Mother Teresa of “accepting dirty money,” “hiring lousy help” and “ruining Calcutta.”
December 4
Time magazine ran a story on a play written by Karol Wojtyla before becoming Pope John Paul II. The play is called “The Jeweler’s Shop,” and was being performed in Paris. The magazine concluded that “although the poetry-slam style high jinks are adorably dated,” none of Wojtyla’s literary skills could “hold a candle to transubstantiation.”
Radio
January 17
Metairie, LA — Talk show host Robert Namer of WASO radio was discussing celibacy of priests and nuns when he made the statement that he is pretty sure all priests and nuns masturbate. When contacted by the Catholic League following a complaint from a listener, Namer said while he was sorry that anyone took offense, he would not apologize for the statement. A Catholic League representative was allowed air time in a subsequent broadcast.
September 1
Fort Scott, KS — Radio station KVCY aired a show titled, “Heart of the Matter” hosted by Ralph Obdell. Obdell’s guest was “Brother” Bart Brewer. Brewer claimed to be a former Catholic priest who left the priesthood in 1965. The show was replete with anti-Catholic canards. Brewer claimed to be part of a group called Mission to Catholic International—a Protestant group trying to “save” Catholics. Among Brewer’s claims were: Catholics do not believe in Jesus of the bible; Catholics do not read or understand the bible; Catholics are not Christian; Catholics were responsible for killing thousands of Christians in the early days of the Church.
September 2
National Public Radio host Brian Leherer had author Elizabeth Abbott as a guest on the topic of celibacy. During the course of taking telephone calls, the author made the comment that half of Catholic priests are hypocrites because they say they are celibate but are not.
September 14
Boston, MA — Radio host Howie Carr, heard on WRKO in Boston and syndicated around the nation, referred to a minister who molested a little girl. Carr commented that one knew the minister was not a Catholic priest because he was involved with a girl and not a boy.
October 20
New York, NY — Don Imus’ morning radio show on WFAN, syndicated around the country and simulcast on MSNBC cable television, featured a segment by producer Bernard McGuirk. McGuirk, under the character name “Archbishop Edward Egan” spouted a routine in which he makes fun of gays, lesbians, politicians, Broadway plays, performers and other current events.
October 27
Boston, MA — Disc Jockeys “Rocko and Birdsey” from radio station WAAF played what they said were secretly recorded tapes of a Catholic confessional. Station management later said the bit was a hoax and the two were taken off the air before their show ended when they refused to stop the joke. They both returned to the air the following Monday.
Television
January 23
An episode of the Fox Television show “The X-Files” featured a plot where investigators were looking into a religious ceremony in which snakes were used. One character, who is supposed to be Jewish, remarks to another, who is supposed to be Catholic, that he knew a lot of Catholic high school girls who were “expert snake handlers.” In another instance, he tells the Catholic character that handling snakes is no more ridiculous than “your religion’s communion wafer.”
January 31
The CBS program “The Early Show” discussed Catholicism. The on-air staff talked about being scarred for life from attending Catholic school. Weatherman Mark McEwen remarked, “Well the thing with Catholicism—you can do whatever you want as long as you feel guilty about it.” To which co-host Julie Chen replied, “And say three Hail Marys.”
January 31
The CBS comedy “Everyone Loves Raymond” featured a story line in which Raymond goes to church with his family. His father, an usher, is shown gossiping, talking about the women in the church and counting money instead of paying attention. Raymond, during the Consecration, then makes faces, noises, bothers people around —all while the Eucharistic and other prayers can be heard in the background.
March 1
The ABC late night show “Politically Incorrect” featured a discussion about Catholic-owned hospitals with Professor Darlene Kennedy of Regent University. Kennedy remarked that there were several Catholic hospitals that provided contraceptive services. She did not provide the names of those hospitals. Contacted by the Catholic League after the show, Kennedy cited a study from which she got her information mentioned on the show. The study, appearing in the Los Angeles Times, also did not provide the names of the hospitals.
March 7
CBS’ “The Early Show” continued its ridiculing of the Catholic Church during talk between on air staff members. Weatherman Mark McEwen started the conversation by saying he was born Catholic but now “has a problem with it.” News reader Julie Chen joked about being “scarred for life” from Catholic schools with McEwen commenting about being able to do anything and be absolved through “three Hail Marys.”
March 9
ABC’s “Politically Incorrect” featured host Bill Maher and guests Penn Jillette and James Marsters characterizing priests as pedophiles. Guest Rosemary Altea noted she has had the “Immaculate Conception” because she has a daughter and has never had sex.
March 9
The new NBC animated comedy “God, the Devil and Bob” premiered treating religion as mundane and trivial. God was portrayed as a Jerry Garcia look-a-like who regularly drinks beer with the devil as the two fight over the soul of Bob. The network canceled the show after just four episodes when ratings sagged and many affiliates refused to air the show.
March 9
The “Tonight Show” featured a monologue by host Jay Leno that mocked Ash Wednesday. Leno presented a skit about a “tough parish in downtown Los Angeles” in which the priests smokes a cigar and then puts it out on the foreheads of parishioners.
March 19
The CBS television show “60 Minutes” ran a story about Pope Pius XII based on information and an interview with John Cornwell, author of Hitler’s Pope. Among the inaccuracies put forth, unchallenged, by reporter Ed Bradley:
· Cornwell is a practicing Catholic. He wrote in 1991 that he thought humans were better off without a belief in God.
· Cornwell had unprecedented access to Vatican archives despite the fact Vatican records show otherwise.
The show ignored facts such as 860,000 Jews (by Jewish scholars’ estimates) survived as a result of Pius’ efforts.
March 20
The “Early Show” had its third derogatory conversation about Catholicism in less than two months. On this edition, anchor Bryant Gumbel and weatherman Mark McEwen ridiculed the Church about Lenten observances and the sacrament of Confession. At one point, while discussing confession, Gumbel remarked, “…like, no matter what you did, if you had a double murder, he’d give you, like, a Hail Mary…if you like, ate meat on Friday, he’d make you take a trip to Lourdes.”
March 20
ABC’s “Politically Incorrect,” during the pope’s visit to the Holy Land, joked that at the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel didn’t tell Mary she was pregnant with Jesus, he showed her his “horn had turned pink.” Later in the show, guest Lisa Ann Walter referred to the reception of Holy Communion as “scraping a dry wafer off of the roof of your mouth.”
March 28
New York, NY — Given the rash of Catholic-bashing on ABC’s “Politically Incorrect,” the Catholic League lodged complaints with Christine Hikawa, ABC’s Vice President of Broadcast Standards and Practices. She replied, “…all religious and ethnic groups are equally treated by the show and probably equally offended.” She offered no evidence to support this claim.
April 5
The Bravo network, despite assurances it would not do so, again aired “The Last Temptation of Christ.” It is considered one of the most anti-Christian movies ever made.
April 25
The FOX network show “Family Guy” featured a conversation between a character and a priest at church. After the character received the Cup, he asks the priest, “Is that really the blood of Christ?” When told that it is he replies, “Man, that guy musta been wasted 24 hours a day.”
April 30
In an episode of “X-Files,” the storyline involved a cardinal who was about to be arrested as he was celebrating Mass. At the end of the program, it was revealed the cardinal had murdered a man and then committed suicide.
May 2
The topic of discussion on CNN’s “Larry King Live” was homosexuality and religion. Among the guests were clergymen from several denominations. Father Richard Rasi was introduced to represent the Catholic Church. He identified himself as a gay priest from the group Dignity. Father Rasi is not listed in the Official Catholic Directory and Dignity is not recognized by the Church. On the show, Father Rasi proceeded to misrepresent Catholic teaching on the subject.
The Catholic League contacted the show to protest the selection of Father Rasi as a guest. Bobby Grossman of “Larry King Live” admitted in June that he was being inundated with complaints after their contact information was published in the Catholic League’s Catalyst. Grossman said although he had never heard of the Official Catholic Directory, he would fax over Fr. Rasi’s resume. It never arrived.
May 19
The “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno featured actor Dennis Franz singing “The Vatican Rag.” Four people dressed as bishops twirled rosary beads and one dressed as the pope danced with Franz. Among the lyrics: “Try playin’ it safer drink the wine and chew the wafer.” And “Two, four, six, eight, time to transubstantiate.”
May 26
A film titled “Picking Up the Pieces” made its debut on the cable station Cinemax. It starred such big names as Woody Allen, David Schwimmer, Kiefer Sutherland and Sharon Stone among others. The Blessed Mother was ridiculed; references to bishops as pedophiles were inferred; priests were money-grubbing hypocrites; comments like “I’m not saying Jesus was a pimp, but he had a ‘ho—Mary Magdalene” were made; Mother Teresa was said to have had “sex slaves”; a priest had sex in the confessional; the Church was compared to a whore; miracles were treated with disdain, etc.
June
Catholic League advisory board member Linda Chavez quit the PBS TV talk show “To the Contrary” after being insulted by host Bonnie Erbe. When Chavez disagreed with Erbe on the issue of gun control, Erbe called her an “an overgrown Catholic Schoolgirl.” After the story was printed in the Catalyst, the producers of “To the Contrary” sent a form letter to Catalyst readers who had written about the show, saying it was Ms. Chavez who had said “nasty and unchristian” things in a e-mail exchange. When The Catholic League contacted the producers for some evidence of such an exchange, Bonnie Erbe replied, “We have nothing to add at this time.”
June
NBC “Today” show weatherman Al Roker was making the television talk show rounds to promote his new book about fatherhood. In doing so he repeatedly told a story about an expensive fertility drug his wife used. He claimed the drug company was a subsidiary of the Vatican and the drug was made from the urine of “menopausal nuns.” He then told a joke about how it would be less expensive to adopt a nun and have her “pee in a cup.” In discussing the Catholic League’s objection to the story and joke on other TV appearances, Roker never re-told the joke to which we objected.
July 8
The Bravo network featured a theme night of movies, showing “The Last Temptation of Christ” at 8 pm and then “Agnes of God” at 10:30 pm. Both are notoriously anti-Catholic films.
July 11
The panelists and host of the ABC show “Politically Incorrect” discussed the gay pride event in Rome held the previous weekend. Panelist actress Heather Thom said the pope would eventually have to apologize for his remarks about the gay event and should throw “a giant oil orgy and just throw everyone into the mix.” Host Bill Maher said there is “nothing more perverted than celibacy.”
July 19
The Comedy Central show “South Park” featured a two-part storyline that included an attack on almost every aspect of the Catholic faith. The basic plot of last week’s show centered around a priest who tells children they will burn in hell unless they confess and “eat the crackers” (read: Holy Communion). During the course of the show, the following attacks on Catholicism were presented:
· The priest is caught by the children having sex with a parishioner in the confessional.
· The priest tells a nun “the Jews crucified our savior. If you don’t go to hell for that, what the hell do you go to hell for?”
· The nun calls the Vatican to see if the priest is right. The pope appears senile.
· Transubstantiation is described as “just plain silly” and the kids wonder whether “Jesus was made of crackers”; they also ask whether “all we have to do is confess our sins and eat crackers” to avoid hell.
· The father of the Jewish boy tells his son “Christians use hell to scare people into believing what they want them to
believe.”
August 8
An edition of “Politically Incorrect” on ABC featured another session of attacks on the Catholic Church and the priesthood. Host Bill Maher stated, “Look, it’s a fact of life. Priests, a lot of times, molest boys, okay? They are celibate and it’s a magnet for homosexual pedophiles.” A guest on the show, actor William McNamara chimed in on the Catholic bashing by saying the Church should allow priests to marry and “give the altar boy’s rectums a break.”
September 18
On ABC’s “Politically Incorrect” actor Jay Mohr said, “The Vatican is some 80-year-old guy who lives in a bullet proof bubble, wears a bib—they got to wipe his mouth. He’s in a diaper and he’s trying to tell me who to have sex with.”
October 10
On ABC’s “Politically Correct” host Bill Maher stated about the Catholic Church: “I believe in God, I just don’t think God would want this enormous silly bureaucracy between him and me.”
October 27
On ABC’s “Politically Correct” a guest said that people celebrate Halloween “like sheep to the slaughter.” Host Bill Maher responded, “Which is the perfect description of religion itself. I mean, what is scarier than drinking the man’s blood every Sunday? That’s not a spooky ritual? ‘Here kids, drink his blood and eat his body.’ Like that’s not pagan? What can be more pagan than that?”
October 30
On UPN’s “Moesha,” the young Moesha dressed like a nun for Halloween and jumped into a man’s arms with her legs wrapped around his waist. The Catholic League registered a complaint with the producers and, after much discussion, our point was acknowledged.
October 31
On NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” a Jesus figure was shown trying to exercise to get in shape while tied to the cross.
November 9
On FOX’s “Boston Public,” a show written by David E. Kelley, there was a scene where a football player rumored to be gay explains that he is being recruited by Boston College, a “Jesuit school.” The player fears that if Boston College discovers he is gay he will be rejected solely for that reason.
December 10
The CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” aired a segment on the mergers of Catholic hospitals with secular healthcare institutions. The focus of the report was on the unavailability of contraceptive services and abortions at these facilities. Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) was interviewed to present a Catholic opinion and stated that doctors “are no longer gods. Now we have bishops who are gods.” Kissling is a notorious anti-Catholic bigot and on two occasions the bishops of the United states have denounced CFFC for fraudulently posing as a Catholic group.
Internet
February 16
The Internet search engine Excite offered web users the service of typing in words when doing an internet search. When the words “Mother Teresa” were typed and searched, among the matches listed was a profane title for a pornographic website. Excite corrected the offense after being contacted by the Catholic League.
February 16
Salon, the Internet magazine, did a feature on the Fox TV special “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire.” In describing the finalists, Carina Chocano wrote about one, “…a fiery redhead who must have been Catholic because shame came and bit her in the ass halfway through the proceedings, lending her an anxious, downcast quality….”
March 12
Slate magazine’s Jack Shafer wrote a piece in response to a column in the New York Times Magazine about anti-Catholicism. Shafer wrote, “If anti-Catholic bigotry exists in America, it might have something to do with the Catholic Church’s past conduct. Just this weekend, His Holiness John Paul II conceded as much when he finally got around to apologizing to the world for 2000 years of Catholic wickedness.” Shafer also compared the pope to Louis Farrakhan: “But tap-dancing away from accountability more beautifully than Farrakhan, the pope absolved the Catholic Church of blame because it is ‘holy and immaculate.'”
May 6
The online auction site eBay hosted a number of customers who wanted to sell items related to Cardinal John O’Connor moments after his death. Among the items for sale: the website domain name “cardinaloconnor.com” with a starting price of $500, a photograph of the cardinal with former first lady Rosalynn Carter, a picture of the cardinal with Mother Teresa and a book written by the cardinal and former New York Mayor Edward Koch. The Catholic League’s complaint was with the timing of the auction.
July 17
MensJournal.com featured a piece about British comedian Eddie Izzard. In reviewing Izzard’s act, the article noted that “Izzard often turns to history, seizing its oddities for his own pointed comedic use. He renames Nazi sympathizer Pope Pius XII ‘Shithead Coward Bastard the Twelfth’ and plays a scene in which Jesus hosts the Last Breakfast and his disciples are served Rice Krispies (‘These are my corpuscles’) and orange juice doubles as plasma.”
August 17
On the ABC news website, ABCNEWS.com reporter Sue Masterman ridiculed Catholicism in her report, “Holy Disorder: Kids Are Dressed to Thrill at Vatican Bash.” In her story on World Youth Day, she reported that dogs are not allowed in St. Peter’s: “They have no souls to redeem, the church [sic] decrees, thus access is denied. No holy water for them.” She wrote that priests are hearing confessions “from all youngsters who want absolution from sins they have hardly time to commit.” Noting that Church officials relaxed the dress code at St. Peter’s for the young people she reported: “If God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Ghost are getting to see more than the usual of the flesh which He created in places where the Roman Catholic clergy want it covered up, then it does not seem to be causing much divine offense.”
William Donohue protested to ABCNEWS.com. Within 24 hours Masterman’s story was toned down and two of the offensive statements eliminated entirely.
August 25
A website was started based on the official website of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. The fake site was a diatribe against the diocese involving a dispute of a house deeded to the diocese. Among the statements on the fake site: “Open Wide the Greed,” “Bismarck Diocese GUILTY of Complicity in the DEATH of Pauline M. Purdy.” The site had blood dripping from the top of the page.
September
At jesus-is-lord website, convents are referred to as “torture chambers” and the site specializes in reproducing anti-Catholic literature from the 19th Century. Jesus-is-lord provides the “anti-Christ” sideshow that stars “the popes of Rome and the great whore of revelation XVII the Roman Catholic Religion.” The only contemporary story is a reprint from the Washington Post‘s wire story on the Kansas City Star series on the alleged AIDS epidemic in the priesthood.
September 6
The internet magazine Slate has a feature in which two people exchange personal “letters” for readers to see. The writers in the feature called “The Breakfast Table” are usually artists, authors or editors. In this particular edition of “The Breakfast Table,” Debra Dickson of the New Republic Foundation and Erroll McDonald, an editor at Pantheon Books exchanged letters touching on Catholicism.
In addressing a recent dictum from the Vatican, Dickerson wrote, “Ooooooh! You’re gonna burn in hell you devil Baptist! Jesus ain’t enuf [sic]—you gotta sniff incense and kneel on those hard wooden thingies.” McDonald responded with a story about how he tried to get married in the Church. Having failed because he could not produce baptismal or confirmation papers, he then tried to have his child baptized. He wrote, “When the priest asked where we were married and we told him, the red-faced drunk was aghast. He would perform the baptism…providing of course, that the requisite envelope with the $200 donation was deftly handed over.”
October
At The Catholic Page (angelfire.com/mn/psychospeak/catholic.html) a “Prince Wally” lists “The Top 10 Reasons Why It Sucks To Be A Catholic” including, “Be an Altar Boy—Read a newspaper.” The author states that Catholics “have too many rules and too much hypocrisy for my taste. That makes them fun to bash.”
October
At Ask Sister Rosseta (rosseta.com) the “Lavender Nun” engages in double entendres and sexual buffoonery. A cartoon rendition of Jesus on the cross is provided that can be dressed in top hat and tails, rabbit slippers, etc.
October 4
Topeka, Kansas — The Westboro Baptist Church under the Rev. Fred Phelps, operates two web pages that are anti-Catholic, as well as anti-gay and anti-Semitic. On www.godhatesfags.com and www.godhatesamerica.com the Catholic Church is mentioned as a “Fag” Church and Phelps claims that one-third of Catholic priests are gay. He also claims they molest boys and women. A special section on godhatesfags.com is devoted to a “Diary of Another Fag Priest.”
October 18
The internet site jesusdressup.com featured a dress-up game for Jesus on the cross. By clicking a computer mouse and dragging the clothing across the screen, computer users were encouraged to put different outfits on Jesus as he hangs on the cross including and Uncle Sam outfit, a devil’s costume, a crown of thorns, cowboy boots, sunglasses, etc. Also available were signs to place above his head including one that read, “Hang in There, Baby.”
October 21
The Internet website lotsofjokes.com contained a section called, “Religious Jokes.” Most of the jokes involved priests, bishops, nuns, St. Peter, Jesus and the Catholic Church.
October 31
On a Halloween posting on Salon.com a short story is excerpted about a young woman destined for the convent who has a graphic sexual encounter with a young seminarian.
* The following entries, while found in the course of research done in November, were previously available on the Internet
The website www.catholicteens.com features links to other websites that are obscene and pornographic. The site alludes to underage girls, incest, rape and bestiality. The website is registered to Trevor Kurtz of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
On morons.org the Catholic Church is accused of “slaughtering millions” and links are provided to various traditional anti-Catholic sites on the Internet.
At theonion.com, the website for a weekly “humor” newspaper published out of Wisconsin, a “religious archives” headlines stories that read, “Christ announces associate Christ” and “aging Pope ‘Just Blessing Everything in Sight’ say concerned handlers.” One story quotes the pope as saying: “During the Holocaust, the Church stood silently by while six million fellow human beings, guilty of nothing but the murder of Christ Our Lord, descended to the depths of brimstone at the hands of Protestants. Our intervention in that affair could have averted a monumental tragedy, and more important, might have converted the souls of untold multitudes of evil heretics to the Holy Word of God.”
At the website for Jack Chick Company of California (chick.com), a host of anti-Catholic books and pamphlets are sold, including Chick’s original comic book, Alberto. There is also the Death Cookie, a pamphlet describing the Eucharist as a Satanic-inspired ritual rooted in pagan beliefs.
The Harbor Lighthouse website (harborlighthouse.org), produced by the Ankerberg Theological Institute in Nashville, TN., a long series of anti-Catholic features are posted including, “The Spiritual Battle for Truth” by Michael Grendon. Grendon writes that “Satan has been profoundly successful in deceiving multitudes in the name of Christ because his servants appear as ministers of righteousness. They wear priestly garments and religious collars and carry boastful titles such as ‘most reverend,’ ‘right reverend,’ ‘his excellency,’ and ‘Holy Father.'” Articles on the site in Spanish attack Marian devotion.
Cutting Edge Ministry (cuttingedge.org), with advertising sponsors such as Hickory Farms, offers a series of articles that claim that the Mass is witchcraft, the Holy Father is the Antichrist, the crucifix in Catholic circles is a Satanic symbol and that “Roman Catholic teachings are blatant frauds upon the faithful people.”
The Reformation Online website (reformation.org) reproduces 19th Century anti-Catholic materials concerning Vatican and Jesuit one-world “plots” under Pope Pius IX. The website blames Pope Pius IX for concocting the Great famine in Ireland in the 1840s.
Lamb and Lion Ministries was founded in 1980 and is run by a board of 24 trustees “from a variety of Christian fellowships” and is based in McKinney, Texas. Its website (lamblion.com) features an article by a Dr. David Reagan who writes that “(Catholicism) is the ancient Babylonian mystery religion parading in new clothes, worshiping Mary as the ‘Queen of Heaven.'” He claims that the “Whore of Babylon” will “most likely be an amalgamation of the world’s pagan religions, including apostate Protestants, under the leadership of the Catholic Church.”
White Horse Publications is a Hunstville, AL “Christian publishing company devoted to exposing the errors and trappings of a sacramental system of salvation.” The “most prominent manifestation of that error is Roman Catholicism, or Romanism.” It advertises seven books on its website (whpub.com) including “Graven Bread,” a book that calls the Eucharist “a centuries-old practice than amounts to nothing less than idolatry.”
Operated by a minister who claims to have been raised a Catholic, at Just for Catholics website (stas.net/goodnews), Catholics are advised to “reckon yourself an unworthy sinner and a rebel against God….Do not rely on a church, Mary, the saints, a human priest, the sacrifice of the Mass, or an imaginary Purgatory.”
Pro-Gospel website (pro-gospel.org) promises to “untangle Roman Catholics from the dogmatic jungle in which they are held captive.” Catholics who have been “born again” and left the Church are told to “rescue” Catholics who “have been in submission to the controlling, irrefutable dogmas of the Catholic clergy.”
Good News for Catholics is an organization that began in 1981 with the distribution of anti-Catholic literature at the consecration of Bishop Pierre DuMaine of San Jose, CA. On their website (gnfc.org) they describe the Catholic Church as an “unbiblical form of Christianity which has deceived Catholic people.”
At Former Catholics for Christ (geocities.com/heartland/plains2594/) Catholics are told that the Church “is proven to be a practice of white witchcraft.”
December 13
Salon posted an article allegedly written by a 15-year-old girl charging that her school is anti-gay. The piece, “Teens, sex and God” accused the Catholic Church of hating gays and contributing to “intolerant attitudes” that “contribute greatly to teen depression and suicide.”
The animus against Christmas manifests itself in a myriad of ways, and 2015 was no exception. 