Catholic League president William Donohue issued the following statement today regarding the Democratic National Committee (DNC):

“The current edition of the National Catholic Register (September 15-21) carries the first of a series of ads the Catholic League is running in Catholic and secular newspapers targeting the DNC.  Though the league has heard from Rep. Tom Lantos and Rep. Tim Roemer, both of whom are exploring the league’s complaint, nothing has changed: the DNC continues to align itself with an anti-Catholic organization, Catholics for a Free Choice.

“We do not believe that the Democrats in Congress would knowingly sanction anti-Catholic bigotry.  But until they get the DNC to drop its association with one of the nation’s preeminent Catholic-bashing groups, we will continue our campaign.  Below is the text of the ad.”  

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.

Yesterday, the Catholic League issued a news release regarding two upcoming anti-Catholic films, “The Magdalene Sisters” and “The Crime of Father Amaro.”  The former movie was purchased on Monday by a Disney subsidiary, Miramax, and the latter is being released by Samuel Goldwyn Films.  Michael Eisner, who heads Disney, will meet with company investors in New York on Friday.

The Catholic League has previously criticized Miramax for such anti-Catholic films as “Priest,” “Butcher Boy,” “Dogma” and “40 Days and 40 Nights.”  League president William Donohue commented today on the significance of Eisner’s unusual visit to New York:

“In 1995, the Catholic League pressured Disney/Miramax to change the release date of ‘Priest’ from Good Friday to another date.  In 1999, we pressured Disney to put the arm on Miramax by getting its subsidiary to find another distributor for ‘Dogma’; Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who run Miramax, were forced to buy the movie back from Disney.  At that time we also asked Disney to dump Miramax, and while they did not, they nonetheless distanced themselves from another Weinstein attack on Catholics.  This time we are asking Eisner, and Disney investors, to finish the job.

“Peter Mullan, who directs ‘The Magdalene Sisters,’ has rightly been branded the Leni Riefenstahl of today; this is in reference to Hitler’s favorite director.  Mullan has, among other things, accused the Catholic Church of being indistinguishable from the murderous Taliban.

“Disney’s stock has plummeted 32 percent in the past year.  No wonder Eisner is worried.  But with Miramax’s latest move, Disney’s moral stock has just hit a new low.  If Eisner isn’t worried about this now, his investors will be soon: the Catholic League will embark on a relentless protest of Miramax’s latest attack on Catholicism.  The most honorable and sensible thing that investors can do on Friday is to convince Eisner to finally show the Weinstein boys the gate.”

Yesterday, Miramax Films purchased the rights to “The Magdalene Sisters.”  Three weeks ago, Samuel Goldwyn Films picked up “The Crime of Father Amaro.”  Both movies attack Catholicism.  Catholic League president William Donohue commented on this today:

“Harvey Weinstein of Miramax is known for such anti-Catholic movies as ‘Priest,’ ‘Butcher Boy,’ ‘Dogma,’ and ‘40 Days and 40 Nights.’  Now he has added the Venice Golden Lion winner ‘The Magdalene Sisters.’

“This film is based on the allegedly cruel behavior of Irish nuns who maintained homes for wayward young girls and their babies in the 19th and 20th centuries.  To be sure, conditions were harsh by today’s standards but they were not uncommon in their day: historians have recounted how Protestant-run institutions were similar.  Moreover, in the absence of government agencies to address this problem, those girls who were left to fend for themselves were consigned to failure.  But such verities are of no interest to director Peter Mullan.

“Listen to Mullan’s vintage anti-Catholicism: ‘There is not much difference between the Catholic Church and the Taliban’;  ‘The film encapsulates everything that is bad about the Catholic Church’; ‘The worst thing about the Catholic Church is that it imprisons your soul, your mind and your d—.’  No wonder a leading European arts critic compared Mullan’s work to that of Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler’s favorite director.  Yet none of this fazes Weinstein—the same man who postponed the opening of ‘Gangs of New York’ from a year ago because of his ‘sensitivity’ to New Yorkers (it features violence and was scheduled to open after 9-11).

“Meyer Gottlieb and Daniel Birman Ripstein have bought ‘The Crime of Father Amaro’ for Samuel Goldwyn Films.  It is a fictional account about a priest who impregnates a 16-year-old and features an old woman who feeds the Holy Eucharist to her cat.  Gottlieb can say all he wants how the movie ‘deals with issues that are topical’: it would be just as topical to portray Muslims as thugs, yet no one in Hollywood would dare do so.  Catholics should take note: this is Hollywood’s 9-11 gift to us.”

The Catholic League’s quest to get the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to drop its association with an anti-Catholic group, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), came a step closer yesterday when Congressman Tim Roemer (D-IN) entered the fray.  Rep. Roemer wrote a letter to Catholic League president William Donohue saying he has written to DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe asking for a response to the league’s concerns.  At issue is the DNC’s listing of CFFC as a “Catholic” and a “Pro Choice” organization on the links section of its website.

Donohue explained his reaction to Roemer’s letter today:

“Congressman Tim Roemer has now joined Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) in leading the probe of the DNC’s decision to associate itself with an anti-Catholic group.  No one believes for a moment that the DNC would list Jews for Jesus under the ‘Jewish American’ section of its links page or in any other section.  Yet the DNC lists Catholics for a Free Choice—a patently anti-Catholic group—under its ‘Catholic’ heading.  Because the group headed by Frances Kissling smacks of bigotry, the Catholic League argues that CFFC should not be listed anywhere on the DNC’s links page.

“Once again, it needs to be known that Kissling has personally said that it is her goal to ‘overthrow’ the Catholic Church.  This is not hyperbole: she has worked tirelessly to discredit the Vatican in both international organizations like the United Nations and in the media.  If the DNC wants to align itself with abortion-rights organizations, let it do so without insulting Catholics.  We will not let this issue drop until the DNC drops Kissling.”

On August 29, Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers addressed a crowd of wealthy businessmen at a luncheon hosted by the Suburban Rotary Club of Omaha.  Chambers, who is black, attacked the Catholic Church before an all white audience.  “The Catholic Church is more effective as a criminal enterprise than the mafia,” said Chambers.

Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:

“Ernie Chambers is an anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, racist state senator who hates America.  Here’s the proof: he has engaged in the most virulent anti-Catholic remarks while opposing school vouchers; he has disfigured Catholic devotional objects and distributed them to his colleagues; he has been denounced by several leading Jews for his anti-Semitic remarks; his comments regarding white people have earned him the label ‘one of the biggest racists in Omaha’; he has been crassly dismissive over 9-11 saying, ‘It didn’t affect me at all’; and he has accused President Bush of being a drunken moral coward who is bent on starting World War Three.

“This is the kind of man welcomed by the Rotarians in Omaha.  I have written to Edwin H. Futa, general secretary of Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, and to Peggy Carrell, executive secretary of the Rotary Club of Omaha, asking if Chambers’ comments are ‘the kind of sentiment [that] accurately reflects the position of your organization.’  I asked this question because it was at the August 29 Rotary luncheon that Chambers lashed out at Catholics and made his disparaging remarks about the horror of 9-11.  An AP story said the crowd was ‘unfazed’ by Chambers’ remarks.

“All of which suggests that these Rotarians are bigots: either they’re anti-Catholic or anti-black.  Regarding the latter charge, only some smug white racists would allow someone like Chambers to entertain them and then feign appreciation for his act.  Chambers, of course, isn’t bright enough to know that the white boys are laughing at him.  But either way, we want an answer from the Rotarian leadership.”

Now that Congress is back in session, there are indications that the Catholic League’s complaint against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will be taken seriously.  Catholic League president William Donohue addressed this issue today:

“A member of the staff of Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA) called last week to inform us that the congressman was making the Catholic League’s complaint against the DNC a ‘priority.’  Last month I wrote to all the Democrats in the House and Senate asking that they act on our complaint.  At issue is the DNC’s tacit endorsement of an anti-Catholic organization, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC).

“The home page of the DNC has a ‘links’ section where it lists organizations of interest to Democrats.  The ‘Catholic’ section and the ‘Pro-Choice’ section both list CFFC.  The Catholic League, while it is pro-life, does not object to the DNC’s decision to list a ‘Pro-Choice’ section in its ‘links.’  The league’s objection to listing CFFC—anywhere in the DNC’s ‘links’ section—has to do with CFFC director Frances Kissling’s professed goal of ‘overthrowing’ the Catholic Church.  To forge an alliance with such a group is a slap in the face to all Catholics.

“For four consecutive weeks, beginning the week of September 15, the Catholic League will run ads in major Catholic and secular publications alerting Catholics to the DNC’s association with Kissling.  We are urging all Catholics to contact the DNC and register their outrage.  This issue is a top priority for the Catholic League.  We commend Rep. Lantos (who is not Catholic) for his leadership on this matter and we look forward to other Democrats joining his efforts to get the DNC to drop its affiliation with an anti-Catholic organization.”