Frances Kissling, the president of Catholics for a Free Choice, was interviewed on October 12 by the panel of the PBS show, “To the Contrary.”  Kissling is currently the source of a protest lodged by the Catholic League against the Democratic National Committee (DNC).  The DNC lists Kissling’s organization on the links section of its website.

Catholic League president William Donohue commented on Kissling’s remarks today:

“Frances Kissling is so openly anti-Catholic it is a wonder that DNC chief Terry McAuliffe continues to stand by his woman.  On the show ‘To the Contrary,’ Kissling stated it is her goal ‘to neutralize the political power of the Church.’  That is not the goal of someone who is merely critical of some of the Church’s teachings: it is the goal of the Church’s enemies. Similarly, when Kissling said she is working ‘to defrock the Church of its massive political power,’ she further bared her anti-Catholic stripes.  Loyal sons and daughters of Catholicism do not speak this way.

“Bonnie Erbe, hostess of the show, commented accurately on Kissling when she said of the anti-Catholic that she’s ‘the woman who’s leading the charge against the Church.’  Thanks Bonnie—you unwittingly summed up Kissling’s resume for us.

“It would be instructive to know how many Democrats running for office this year would go on record supporting McAuliffe’s obstinacy on this issue.  Perhaps some Republican challengers may want to press them.  Sooner or later, McAuliffe will have to drop Kissling.  For any party to be associated with someone who seeks to ‘defrock the Catholic Church’ is not a smart move.”

Yesterday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) added two new listings to its “Catholic” section on the links page of its website: America and Sojourners magazines.  The DNC still lists the anti-Catholic organization, Catholics for a Free Choice, on its website.

Catholic League president William Donohue explained the significance of the DNC’s latest move today:

“The DNC is feeling the heat but it still doesn’t get it.  By adding two Catholic magazines, it has done nothing to resolve the central issue: it needs to drop Catholics for a Free Choice.  Indeed, by adding America, the DNC has effectively rebuffed the American bishops.  Here’s why.

“On September 16, Rev. Msgr. William P. Fay, general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), wrote to DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe, requesting that it drop Catholics for a Free Choice from its website and add the USCCB.  McAuliffe has done neither.

“Now McAuliffe may argue that the USCCB is already listed on its website because one of its ‘Catholic’ listings, Catholic-USA.com (an umbrella site), has the USCCB listed (under its former name, NCCB/USCC).  This argument, however, is disingenuous because America is already listed on the Catholic-USA.com website.  What this means is that the DNC has rebuffed the request made by the bishops to list the USCCB on its website.

“Even if the DNC were to list the USCCB, it would still not satisfy the Catholic League.  Once again, it is the link between the DNC and a patently anti-Catholic organization that is at issue.  The DNC can list the Vatican for all we care: not until it drops its invidious relationship with Catholics for a Free Choice president Frances Kissling will this matter be resolved.”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has angered the Columbus Citizens Foundation by inviting members of the HBO-TV series, “The Sopranos,” to march in New York’s Columbus Day Parade.  Officials of the foundation maintain that the TV show portrays an “extremely negative and ugly stereotyping of our people.”  Furthermore, the officials contend that Mayor Bloomberg was not authorized to extend the invitation in the first place.

Catholic League president William Donohue spoke for the league today:

“In support of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Catholic League is asking Mayor Bloomberg to reconsider his invitation to members of ‘The Sopranos’ cast to march in the Columbus Day Parade.  The Catholic League takes no position on the merits of ‘The Sopranos.’  But we do take a position on the merits of private-parade organizers to maintain their autonomy free of government meddlers.

“At stake is the First Amendment right of freedom of association.  If Mayor Bloomberg does not accede to this modest request, then the Catholic League will support whatever measures—including legal ones—the Columbus Citizens Foundation may want to take.

“It is no secret that Italian-Americans, especially in New York, have actively contributed to the good works of the Catholic Church.  Thus, the Columbus Citizens Foundation deserves the support of all allied organizations in keeping its mission intact.  If the organizers of the Columbus Day Parade don’t believe that ‘The Sopranos’ projects a fair image of Italian-Americans, then that is good enough for us.  Why it isn’t good enough for Mayor Bloomberg needs to be explained.”

The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), is in Rome charging the Vatican with violating the United Nations treaty protecting children; she took her complaint directly to the U.N.  The Catholic League is involved in a campaign seeking to persuade the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to sever its ties with Kissling’s group because of its anti-Catholic activities.  The DNC lists CFFC on the “links” section of its website.

Catholic League president William Donohue issued the following news release on this subject today:

“It is not clear how much more evidence DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe needs to justify severing all ties with Frances Kissling.  Earlier today we sent him the promo of this Saturday’s PBS show, ‘To the Contrary,’ that describes Kissling as a professed enemy of Catholicism.  Now we have AP saying that CFFC ‘has worked for years to unseat the Vatican at the United Nations.’  AP is correct.  Why the DNC would want to camp out with an adversary of the Roman Catholic Church is deeply troubling.

“Today’s AP story is also reporting that Kissling is trying to embarrass the Vatican by getting it to admit to the global nature of the sex abuse scandal.  She wants it in writing and if she is not satisfied she will make another appeal to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child: ‘she would consider asking committee members in the future to censure the Holy See—a tactic used in the U.N. Human Rights Commission for countries like Cuba and China.’

“What is it that McAuliffe doesn’t understand?  Kissling, as even the most objective observers admit, is doing everything in her power to subvert Catholicism.  Just as the people have no voice in the People’s Republic of China, there is nothing Catholic about CFFC.  Any gangster can hijack a name and hang it on his door.  We expect, however, that people like McAuliffe would know better.”

In a letter sent yesterday by overnight mail, Catholic League president William Donohue wrote the following to Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee:

Dear Mr. McAuliffe:

It is disconcerting that the DNC continues to list Catholics for a Free Choice on its “links” page.  This is troubling because I do not believe you would intentionally sponsor an association between the DNC and an anti-Catholic group.  Apparently, you believe that Frances Kissling’s group is merely pro-choice.  That is why I am asking you to reconsider your decision, especially in light of what I am about to tell you.

This Saturday, October 12, the PBS show “To the Contrary” will feature Frances Kissling.  They are flagging this segment as follows: “Frances Kissling’s mission: defrocking the Catholic Church and its massive political power.  We profile her on the next To the Contrary” (see enclosed).

This settles the matter.  Kissling is being profiled not because she is a pro-choice leader, but because she is the declared enemy of the Catholic Church.

Given this evidence, I implore you to immediately drop the DNC’s link with Catholics for a Free Choice.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

William A. Donohue, Ph.D.
President

The Catholic League continued its ad campaign against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) by placing a half-page ad in today’s edition of Roll Call, the influential D.C. publication.  Catholic League president William Donohue said that nothing will stop the league from pressing the DNC to sever its association with an anti-Catholic organization.  By providing a link to Catholics for a Free Choice on its website, the DNC is tacitly endorsing Catholic bashing.

The campaign against the DNC picked up steam last week when it was revealed that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has also implored the DNC to break its support for Frances Kissling’s anti-Catholic group.

The league’s ad has already run in three Catholic weekly newspapers, the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor and the Wanderer; Roll Call marks the first secular publication to run the ad.  The text of the ad appears below.

IS THE

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

ANTI-CATHOLIC?

On the website of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), there is a link to organizations of interest.  Astonishingly, under the “Catholic” banner is a notoriously anti-Catholic organization, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC).  The head of this group, Frances Kissling, has said it is her goal to “overthrow” the Catholic Church.  Moreover, she has sought to silence the voice of the Vatican in the U.N. and has twice been denounced by the bishops as a fraud.

We have asked the DNC to stop its association with CFFC but it refuses.  That is why we are asking you to join our campaign.  Let the DNC know of your outrage by calling them at 202-863-8000; fax at 202-863-8174; email at dnc@democrats.org.

At the request of the Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Rev. Msgr. William P. Fay, the USCCB’s general secretary, has written a letter to Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Terry McAuliffe protesting the DNC’s listing of an anti-Catholic group in the “links” section of its website.  This comes at a time when the Catholic League has been conducting an ad campaign for several weeks against the DNC for its association with the offending group, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC).

In his letter to McAuliffe, Msgr. Fay stressed that the bishops’ conference has publicly said that CFFC is not a Catholic organization and that indeed it works against the teachings of the Church.  He cited the May 10, 2000 statement by Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, then head of the bishops’ conference, taking CFFC to task for misrepresenting itself as a Catholic group.  Msgr. Fay not only asked McAuliffe to remove CFFC from its website, he requested that the DNC add the USCCB’s website (www.usccb.org) to its “links” section.

Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:

“Bishop Gregory continues to exercise exemplary leadership and the letter by Msgr. Fay to Terry McAuliffe lays the issue on the line with moral clarity.  It is outrageous that either major political party would help to legitimize a positively illegitimate organization like CFFC.  Its head, Frances Kissling, has long been an open enemy of the Catholic Church.  Were it not for the largesse bestowed upon her by wealthy adversaries of the Church, CFFC would collapse tomorrow.  It is the Warren Buffetts of this world that keep her afloat; the Buffett Foundation is one of Kissling’s most generous donors.

“Our ad campaign will continue and we will not quit until the DNC breaks all ties with Kissling.  If the DNC wants to try to stiff the bishops, as well as millions of Catholics, it will pay a dear price.”

Mark A. Abramson, a New Hampshire attorney, has gone into court seeking all Catholic clergy personnel and probation files, archives and complaints of sexual abuse made to the Diocese of Manchester.  The names of the alleged victims are not being released by Abramson.  This, in turn, has led diocesan lawyers to file a motion forcing the release of the names.

Catholic League president William Donohue opined as follows:

“Mark A. Abramson has shown no interest in obtaining the personnel files of ministers, rabbis, imams, teachers, social workers or psychologists.  Just priests.  His sense of fairness also allows him to oppose due process rights of Roman Catholic priests: they have no right, in his mind, to know the identity of their accuser.

“The Diocese of Manchester ought to release all its priest personnel files to Abramson, but with the names of the priests deleted throughout.  For justification, they can cite Abramson’s tactic of withholding the names of priest accusers as being exemplary: what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.  This way everyone will be presented with reams of personnel information positively unrelated to any human being.

“For his ‘witch-hunt’ efforts, we are including Mark A. Abramson in our 2002 annual report on anti-Catholicism.  Indeed, we are mailing him a box of our 2001 annual reports today so he can get an idea what his entry will look like.  Unlike Abramson, the Catholic League likes to name names.”