The bill that would allow the state legislature in Connecticut to reconfigure the governing structure of the Catholic Church has been pulled. Introduced by Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald, the bill was withdrawn at the behest of the person who proposed it, Tom Gallagher; he is a contributor to the National Catholic Reporter, a left-wing Catholic newspaper. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal will now review the constitutionality of the bill.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“Every pre-law undergraduate knows that what Lawlor and McDonald tried to pull off—in stealth fashion—was flagrantly unconstitutional. For their fascist stunt, they should at least be censured by their colleagues. Ideally, they should resign or be forced out of office.

“The big losers are the Catholic left-wing activists who pushed for this measure. To be specific, Voice of the Faithful, a dissident Catholic group comprised mainly of senior citizens, has been promoting a lay Catholic takeover of the Catholic Church for many years. Also, their ideological kinfolk at the National Catholic Reporter republished an article by Gallagher calling for an aggressive civil law approach to parish governance.

“Lawlor, McDonald, Gallagher, Voice of the Faithful, and the National Catholic Reporter totally underestimated the reaction of rank-and-file Catholics. Chalk up a big victory for Catholics who are loyal to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and to the religious liberty provisions of the First Amendment.”

A booklet on the upcoming movie, “Angels & Demons,” written by Catholic League president Bill Donohue, is now available. “Angels & Demons”:More Demonic Than Angelic debunks the myths, lies and smears told about the Catholic Church. The film, which opens May 15, is based on Dan Brown’s book, Angels & Demons. Ron Howard directs the movie.

The booklet offers a detailed account of the lies told not only about the Catholic Church, but about many other issues, events and persons mentioned by Brown-Howard. In particular, it sets the record straight on the relationship between Catholicism and science; it has a separate section on Galileo. It closes with evidence of the anti-Catholic agenda of those associated with the film.

It is available for $5, including shipping and handling.

Click here to (read booklet) order the booklet.

President Obama signed an executive order today on stem cell research; it was part of his “Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum.” In response, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said the following:

“President Obama acknowledged that he supports ‘groundbreaking work to convert ordinary human cells into ones that resemble embryonic stem cells.’ So do we. What he doesn’t seem to realize is that the enormous progress that has already been made in this area largely undercuts his decision to fund embryonic stem cell research. After all, if the same, or similar, results can be obtained without endangering embryos, on what basis can their destruction be warranted?

“Obama seems to know that he is in dangerous territory, but fails to say why. For example, he insists that embryonic stem cell research demands ‘proper guidelines and strict oversight’ so that ‘the perils can be avoided.’ What perils is he talking about? If the killing of nascent human life isn’t an issue—which he apparently thinks it isn’t—then what are the perils associated with this research? It is starkly remindful of the position of pro-abortion advocates: they always say we should have fewer abortions, but never say why.

“Obama’s adamant rejection of human cloning is welcome. However, it is not enough to say that it would be a ‘dangerous, profoundly wrong’ thing to do. We need to know why. For example, what principle is operative? Science teaches, and the Catholic Church accepts, that human life begins at fertilization. That being the case, the Church reasons, we are morally compelled not to treat human life—beginning at conception and lasting until natural death—as if it were mere fodder for research. Obama, and others, are free to disagree, but they are morally obligated to state the principle upon which they draw their conclusions. He most certainly has not.

“In short, not only are Obama’s executive order and scientific memo mostly troubling, we still don’t know why he believes what he believes.”

Bill #1098 has been introduced in the Connecticut legislature by Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald that orders the Catholic Church to reorganize. Its express purpose is “To revise the corporate governance provisions applicable to the Roman Catholic Church and provide for the investigation of the misappropriation of funds by religious corporations.” It specifies that each parish is to elect a board of directors to run all parish functions, thus stripping the Pastor of his authority.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“The Catholic League has been deluged with phone calls, e-mails and faxes from Catholics, as well as non-Catholics, from all over Connecticut. On March 11, there will be a public hearing on this bill. Bridgeport Bishop William Lori and Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell are imploring Catholics to attend. More than that needs to be done.

“Bishop Lori is correct to say that the bill ‘is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.’ Indeed, it is payback: this brutal act of revenge by Lawlor and McDonald, two champions of gay marriage, is designed to muzzle the voice of the Catholic Church.

“By singling out the Catholic Church—no other religion has been targeted—Lawlor and McDonald have demonstrated that they are ethically unfit to continue as lawmakers. They have evinced a bias so strong, and so malicious, that it compromises their ability to serve the public good. They should therefore be expelled by their colleagues. Reprimand and censure suggest that the offender can be rehabilitated. It is painfully obvious in this instance that neither lawmaker is prepared to accept such a sanction. Expulsion is the only rational response. We are contacting House leader Christopher Donovan and Senate leader Martin Looney to explore this action.”

Contact: christopher.donovan@cga.ct.gov

              looney@senatedems.ct.gov

President Barack Obama is expected to lift restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research today. Speaking against this decision is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:

“When President Bush placed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, there was no way for scientists to approximate the effectiveness inherent in embryonic stem cells. But that is no longer the case. Last fall, Harvard University stem cell researcher Konrad Hochedlinger announced that he was able to coax adult cells to regress into an embryonic state. Scientists everywhere were ecstatic.

“It is precisely because there are ethical alternatives to killing embryos that President Obama’s decision is doubly flawed: (a) it is immoral to intentionally destroy nascent human life, and (b) it is even more irresponsible to do so when morally acceptable alternatives exist.

“Obama has stepped on a slope so slippery that many of his supporters may eventually regret he did so. It is not for nothing that Germany has the most rigorous ethical guidelines on human research. Our model should be 21st century Germany—not 20th century Germany.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue today accused the New York Times of showing a bias against the Catholic Church:

“In today’s New York Times, there is a 524-word story about six protesters who held a news conference on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral criticizing the current New York Archbishop, Cardinal Edward Egan, and his newly named successor, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan. On the opposite page, there is a picture of a demonstration at City Hall by union members; in a caption below the photo, there are 39 words explaining the event. But there is no story about it. Other New York newspapers said that ‘thousands’ showed up at the City Hall rally.

“In the Times story about the news conference at St. Pat’s, it says that protesters questioned the figures released by the archdiocese on the number of priests accused of molesting a minor; they also criticized Archbishop Dolan for not releasing the names of accused priests to the media (as if any organization does this!). What the Times did not find newsworthy is the story about a rabbi who is accused of sexually abusing his own daughter for years, beginning when she was 9 years old. There has been no story on this all week. (The Daily News and the New York Post both covered this story, though neither gave it the kind of front-page attention they almost always give to miscreant priests.)

“So there we have it. Six people show up at a rally to slam two high-ranking Catholic bishops about matters based on conjecture and disagreement, and it merits a sizeable story. But there is no story on thousands who show up at another rally on the same day, and there is no story about a rabbi who is accused by his daughter, his son and his ex-wife of sexually molesting his own child for years.

“The New York Times has some explaining to do.”

Contact NYT ombudsman Clark Hoyt at public@nytimes.com

The following is an open letter by Catholic League president Bill Donohue to New York State lawmakers:

Complaints have reached my office about some New York State lawmakers who are considering a bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, that would discriminate against the Catholic Church by selectively targeting private institutions in legislation aimed at prosecuting the sexual abuse of minors. There is another bill on the same issue, sponsored by Assemblyman Vito Lopez, which does not discriminate: it treats private and public institutions the same way. While there are some differences between the two bills, the central difference is in their application.

Please understand that I am not accusing anyone who supports the Markey bill of anti-Catholicism. But I hasten to add that those who do so are certainly giving the appearance of sponsoring bigotry. Perception, it is often said, is reality.

Alabama Governor George Wallace was known for promoting a dual system of justice—one for whites and one for blacks. It is no less invidious to promote a dual system of justice based on other grounds. If a child has been violated, what matters is the crime, not the location.

Anyone who is really serious about prosecuting the sexual abuse of minors wants all victimizers to be treated equally. I hope you agree.

Contact Markey: MarkeyM@assembly.state.ny.us

Contact Lopez: LopezV@assembly.state.ny.us

Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann has written a column for his archdiocesan newspaper that will appear in tomorrow’s edition; to read it, click here. It is a lengthy and pointed statement concerning the nomination of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of health and human services (HHS).

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on it today:

“Left-wing Catholics who have rallied to Kathleen Sebelius’ side are now in a jam: their support pits them against her Ordinary, Archbishop Joseph Naumann. He regrets that he is not experiencing the ‘joy and pride’ he normally would of a Kansas Catholic being chosen for such a top post in a presidential administration. What troubles him, but not her Catholic supporters, is her relentless opposition to Church teaching on abortion.

“Naumann mentions that Sebelius has long been associated with organizations like Planned Parenthood and NARAL, the two most radical pro-abortion groups in the nation; they are also decidedly anti-Catholic. He mentions her willingness to accept cash from Dr. George Tiller, a man known for killing tens of thousands of unborn children, many of whom were partially born. He mentions that in her role as the head of HHS, she ‘will have to make many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this intrinsic evil.’ (My italics.)

“It is painfully obvious that those who support Sebelius not only disagree with Archbishop Naumann’s characterization of abortion as intrinsically evil—they disagree with the teachings of the Catholic Church on this fundamental human right. The Catholic League is proud to stand with Archbishop Naumann and calls on Catholics everywhere to support him with vigor.”

Contact Archbishop Naumann’s Communications Director, Carroll Macke, to show your support. E-mail her at CMacke@archkck.org

Catholic League president Bill Donohue exposes the anti-Catholic agenda of “Angels & Demons” (the movie opens May 15):

“John Calley, co-producer with Brian Grazer of both ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and ‘Angels & Demons,’ told the New York Times that the former movie was ‘conservatively anti-Catholic.’ According to the Times, Grazer wants ‘Angels & Demons’ to be ‘less reverential’ than ‘The Da Vinci Code.’ Which means he wants it to be liberally anti-Catholic.

“Author Dan Brown says of his latest film, ‘It’s certainly not anti-Catholic.’ So could it be that he simply finds Catholicism fascinating, and loves to weave dramatic tales about it, harboring no animus whatsoever? The evidence suggests otherwise.

“Besides the fact that both producers admit their films are anti-Catholic, we now know, thanks to Father Bernard O’Connor, that their sentiments are typical of those working on the latest movie. O’Connor hung out with the film crew last summer for two days when they were filming in Rome; he was dressed casually, so no one knew he was a priest.

“A person self-described as a ‘production official,’ told the Canadian priest that Brown spoke for the majority of those working on the movie when he said, ‘Like most of us, he [Brown] often says that he would do anything to demolish that detestable institution, the Catholic Church.’ He credited the media for the ‘demise’ of the Church. This same person opined that the Catholic Church ‘is humanity’s chief enemy,’ adding that this sentiment is reflective of those in Hollywood.

“So the cat is out of the bag. We will soon publish a booklet I wrote that will give the public all the evidence it needs to learn how demonic ‘Angels & Demons’ really is. If anyone associated with the movie wants to debate me on anything I’ve said, I would be glad to do so.”

At the close of the Bush administration, the department of health and human services (HHS) issued regulations protecting the conscience rights of health care workers. The Obama administration is proposing to undo those rights. The person likely to enforce the new regulations is Kathleen Sebelius, the nominee for secretary of HHS.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue sees a problem:

“If Kathleen Sebelius is confirmed as the secretary for HHS, she may face a real dilemma: She may be called upon to enforce regulations that strip Catholic health-care workers of their right not to perform, or assist in performing, an abortion. She would then effectively create a dilemma for those doctors and nurses—they would either do what they are ordered to do and risk excommunication, or suffer the consequences. And given that there are more than 2,000 members of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs alone, it is safe to say that the impending problem could explode.

“The Catholic Catechism is not ambiguous: ‘Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life.’ In other words, if Sebelius enforces regulations which deny conscience rights, she will ineluctably put herself on a collision course with the Catholic Church. Is this what the Obama administration wants?

“In 2003, Gov. Sebelius vetoed a law mandating health standards for abortion clinics in Kansas. Her reasoning? The problem with the bill, she said, was that it allowed ‘the legislature, instead of physicians and medical personnel, [to] regulate health care procedures.’ If her interest in protecting the autonomy rights of health care workers vis-à-vis the state was genuine in that instance, then surely she could invoke the same principle again and insist on conscience rights. The time to do so is now: the Obama administration is about to begin a 30-day period allowing for comment on this subject.”