Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on the need to make churches “campaign-free zones”: “For many years now, Republican and Democratic candidates for public office have exploited houses of worship for political capital. Time and again they have brought their campaigns into churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, turning religious services into political rallies. [...]
Urban Outfitters, a Philadelphia company that sells T-shirts and an array of merchandise targeted at young people, has decided not to carry its magnetized figure of Jesus on the cross anymore; the figure of Jesus wearing underwear could be altered by putting various clothing items on it (e.g. a devil’s outfit and a hula skirt). Catholic [...]
Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on the absence of violence that marks the one month anniversary of the opening of “The Passion of the Christ”: “Last summer, Boston University professor Paula Fredriksen predicted, with no uncertainty, that ‘when violence breaks out’ (following the opening of ‘The Passion of the Christ’) Mel Gibson will have [...]
Joaquín Navarro-Valls, the Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, said yesterday that “The Passion of the Christ” was “a cinematographic transcription of the Gospels. If it were anti-Semitic, the Gospels would also be so.” He added that the pope would have criticized the movie if it were bigoted against Jews, but, he declared, there is [...]
In the March 10 edition of Education Week, there is an article by Caroline Hendrie, “Sexual Abuse by Educators is Scrutinized,” that suggests that the degree of sexual abuse in the public schools is at a crisis level. Hofstra University professor Charol Shakeshaft was commissioned by the Bush administration to do a literature search of existing studies [...]
Cardinal Edward Egan and several other high-ranking Catholic clerics appeared in Albany yesterday to lobby against same-sex marriage. Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio spoke bluntly about the Church’s opposition to gay marriage on Fred Dicker’s talk-radio show. Noting the absurdity of permitting two people of the same sex to marry, Bishop DiMarzio questioned the wisdom of allowing [...]
Catholic League president William Donohue notes today how critics of “The Passion of the Christ” continue to rant: “In a Knight Ridder column, Rev. John Pawlikowski, director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at the Catholic Theological Union, wrote the following: ‘Christians who react favorably to Gibson’s film are shamefully evading their religious responsibility.’ Thus did he [...]
The following quotes are from the critics of “The Passion of the Christ”: —Rev. Andrew Greeley calls it “sadomasochistic and pornographic.” —Christopher Hitchens dubs it “an exercise in lurid sadomasochism.” —Ex-priest John Dominic Crossan labels it “pornographic.” —David Edelstein of Slate finds it an “exercise in sadomasochism.’ —Rabbi James Rudin brands it “a sadomasochistic film.” —David Denby of The [...]
On “The 700 Club” today, TV evangelist Pat Robertson ran a segment on celibacy in the Catholic Church. Invited to appear with Robertson was therapist A.W. Richard Sipe. Sipe used the occasion of the latest report on sexual abuse by priests to challenge the wisdom of celibacy. Responding to what was said is Catholic League president [...]
The ADL has issued an online guide, Things Teens Should Know about Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” Most of it is fair enough, but not when it comes to the issue of whether the film accurately reflects Church teachings. Of the Gibson movie, the guide says, “His film does not adhere to these [Vatican II’s] guidelines.” [...]
