Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 56 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Westchester County, New York informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision by Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, to deny a tribute to Mother Teresa: our request to have the towers shine blue and white, the colors of her congregation, on August 26th, the 100th anniversary of her birthday, was originally denied without explanation, and was later denied on appeal by invoking a “policy” that prohibits honoring religious individuals or institutions. If this were in fact true, then (a) they would have said so from the beginning (instead they told me the application looked fine), and (b) they would not have honored Cardinal O’Connor when he died; Pope John Paul II when he died; the Salvation Army; and Rev. Martin Luther King.

Yet the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp.

Everyone is being asked to pass the word about our demonstration and to join us on August 26. They are also being asked to write to Anthony Malkin. His address is Malkin Properties, One Grand Central Place 60, E. 42nd St., NY, NY 10165.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com

The University of Illinois says that Catholic professor Ken Howell can return this fall to teach courses on Catholicism; he had been fired for telling a student in an e-mail what the Catholic Church teaches about homosexuality. However, instead of being paid by the Diocese of Peoria, the University will pay his salary.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:

The University of Illinois made the right decision to reverse the earlier ruling that stripped Ken Howell of his adjunct position. Regarding the termination of the arrangement with the Diocese of Peoria, a plausible case can be made that it was time to reassess this relationship. But this issue is not entirely over.

A faculty committee has yet to rule on issues that are central to academic freedom. More important, at least in the long run, is the matter of religious freedom. To be specific, what right does an institution of higher education have in encroaching on the religious beliefs of administrators, faculty and students? This is especially relevant today given the tendency on many college campuses to pressure Christians into adopting a radical secular mindset on homosexuality.

Notwithstanding our reservations, this is a good day for the University of Illinois, and it is an even better one for people of faith, especially Catholics. We are glad we offered our assistance to Professor Howell; we certainly wish him all the best.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on recent remarks made by Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United:

In the Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog site, Chris Korzen of Catholics United lectures the bishops for being misinformed about the health care bill that they opposed. He says “the USCCB’s [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] opinion was based on a misunderstanding of the bill’s abortion funding provisions.”

In other words, all the bishops, lawyers and pro-life experts who worked on the bill were duped. That would mean that the “pro-life politicians” who refused to support amendments banning the funding of abortion were also duped: if funding wasn’t in the bill, what difference would it have made? Moreover, how does one explain the award that Planned Parenthood just gave to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo supports legislation that would essentially ratify the Hyde Amendment that bars federal funds for abortion. So does the Catholic League. Does Catholics United? We already know the answer: Korzen said last year that “I wouldn’t call us pro-abortion rights or anti-abortion rights.” That’s funny—I have no problem saying the Catholic League is a pro-life, anti-abortion organization.

Whatever the source of Korzen’s reluctance to identify with the teachings of the Catholic Church, he should at least stop with the false advertising: if Catholics aren’t united against abortion, then they cannot in any way be taken seriously. One more thing: it’s time for Korzen to drop the patronizing posture he has adopted towards the bishops.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a disturbing trend on college campuses:

This has been a busy summer for academics seeking to silence dissent on campus. Ken Howell, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois, was accused of “hate speech” for teaching what the Catholic Church believes about homosexuality; he was not invited back this fall. Julea Ward, a Christian student at Eastern Michigan University, was told that she could only continue graduate studies in school counseling if she changed her beliefs on homosexuality and agreed to attend “diversity sensitivity training.” Jen Keeton, a Christian student, was told by officials at Augusta State University that she could continue her graduate work in student counseling only if she changed her thoughts on homosexuality and agreed to enroll in a “sensitivity” program.

The case of Howell is complicated because his salary is paid for by the Diocese of Peoria, but the fact is that it was his teachings on homosexuality that triggered a review of this long-standing arrangement. The case of Ward is complicated by her refusal to counsel homosexuals, but the fact is that had she agreed to counsel gays in a manner consistent with her beliefs, she would have been victimized for doing so anyway. The case of Keeton isn’t complicated by anything—she is simply being victimized for her thoughts.

Bad as these attempts to censor religious freedom are, even worse are the proposed remedies. “Diversity sensitivity” and “remediation programs” smack of thought control. Totalitarian in nature, they have no legitimate role to play in American society, much less on college campuses.

Keeton was told that as a part of her “remediation,” she should go to a “gay pride parade.” Well, I’ve seen them: unlike the Irish, Italian, German, Puerto Rican, Polish, West Indian, Black and Jewish parades, the gays have a hard time keeping their pants on. Indeed, the pictures I have (they would violate federal law if sent by mail) show how utterly obscene gay pride parades can be. Kudos to the Alliance Defense Fund for accepting these three cases.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 55 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Ulster County, New York informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision by Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, to deny a tribute to Mother Teresa: our request to have the towers shine blue and white, the colors of her congregation, on August 26th, the 100th anniversary of her birthday, was originally denied without explanation, and was later denied on appeal by invoking a “policy” that prohibits honoring religious individuals or institutions. If this were in fact true, then (a) they would have said so from the beginning (instead they told me the application looked fine), and (b) they would not have honored Cardinal O’Connor when he died; Pope John Paul II when he died; the Salvation Army; and Rev. Martin Luther King.

Yet the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp.

Everyone is being asked to pass the word about our demonstration and to join us on August 26. They are also being asked to write to Anthony Malkin. His address is Malkin Properties, One Grand Central Place 60, E. 42nd St., NY, NY 10165.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 54 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Sullivan County, New York informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision by Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, to deny a tribute to Mother Teresa: our request to have the towers shine blue and white, the colors of her congregation, on August 26th, the 100th anniversary of her birthday, was originally denied without explanation, and was later denied on appeal by invoking a “policy” that prohibits honoring religious individuals or institutions. If this were in fact true, then (a) they would have said so from the beginning (instead they told me the application looked fine), and (b) they would not have honored Cardinal O’Connor when he died; Pope John Paul II when he died; the Salvation Army; and Rev. Martin Luther King.

Yet the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp.

Everyone is being asked to pass the word about our demonstration and to join us on August 26. They are also being asked to write to Anthony Malkin. His address is Malkin Properties, One Grand Central Place 60, E. 42nd St., NY, NY 10165.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com

On the front page of the website of today’s Orlando Sentinel, there is a picture of a man and a woman posing as Joseph and Mary cradling a puppy (in lieu of baby Jesus). The caption above says, “Smile for the Camera?”, and below the picture it says, “Check out these awkward family photos.” Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League did so, and here are his comments:

When we first looked at this issue, we thought we’d give it a pass. But when we scratched a little deeper, we thought otherwise. For example, clicking on the picture brings us to twenty-six “Awkward Family Photos,” with the Jesus, Mary and dog picture writ large (it appears as the eighth photo in the series). None of the other twenty-five photos ridicules any other religion; most of them are merely silly shots of family members. Furthermore, the reader is directed to a site that features a book on this subject, Awkward Family Photos, the cover of which shows five family members awkwardly lying on top of each other.

In other words, the book on this subject does not highlight the photo mocking the Christian scene: the decision to do so was entirely the choice of the newspaper. Which tells us more about the Orlando Sentinel’s idea of humor than the two authors of the book on this subject.

Contact web editor Roger Simmons: rsimmons@orlandosentinel.com

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 53 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Orange County, New York informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision by Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, to deny a tribute to Mother Teresa: our request to have the towers shine blue and white, the colors of her congregation, on August 26th, the 100th anniversary of her birthday, was originally denied without explanation, and was later denied on appeal by invoking a “policy” that prohibits honoring religious individuals or institutions. If this were in fact true, then (a) they would have said so from the beginning (instead they told me the application looked fine), and (b) they would not have honored Cardinal O’Connor when he died; Pope John Paul II when he died; the Salvation Army; and Rev. Martin Luther King.

Yet the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp.

Everyone is being asked to pass the word about our demonstration and to join us on August 26. They are also being asked to write to Anthony Malkin. His address is Malkin Properties, One Grand Central Place 60, E. 42nd St., NY, NY 10165.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com

In an interview yesterday in London’s Sunday Times, director Oliver Stone said that in his upcoming movie he seeks to put Hitler and Stalin “in context.” Earlier this year, he explained what he meant by this, maintaining that his documentary allows the audience to “walk in Stalin’s shoes and Hitler’s shoes to understand their point of view.” Indeed, he said that “Hitler is an easy scapegoat throughout history and it’s been used cheaply.”

Stone used an obscenity yesterday to describe the way Israel has twisted “United States foreign policy for years.” He also said “we don’t know the full story” about Iranian president Ahmadinejad, and offered words of praise for Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez (something he reportedly repeats in his interview with George Stephanopoulos on July 28 on ABC’s “Good Morning America”).

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:

Let’s try putting Oliver Stone “in context.” Here is man who has played fast and loose with history for years: he is a master at bleeding drama into a documentary, merging fact with fiction—and then selling it as if it were historically accurate. Anyone who thinks Hitler has been a scapegoat is obviously less interested in seeing Hitler through his own eyes than he is in offering an exculpatory thesis. Moreover, his unwillingness to condemn Ahmadinejad, and his love for Chavez, are hardly surprising given his mindset.

There are anti-Semites on the right, but these days the biggest threat to Jews comes from the left, Oliver Stone being among them.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 52 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Rockland County, New York informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision by Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, to deny a tribute to Mother Teresa: our request to have the towers shine blue and white, the colors of her congregation, on August 26th, the 100th anniversary of her birthday, was originally denied without explanation, and was later denied on appeal by invoking a “policy” that prohibits honoring religious individuals or institutions. If this were in fact true, then (a) they would have said so from the beginning (instead they told me the application looked fine), and (b) they would not have honored Cardinal O’Connor when he died; Pope John Paul II when he died; the Salvation Army; and Rev. Martin Luther King.

Yet the same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp.

Everyone is being asked to pass the word about our demonstration and to join us on August 26. They are also being asked to write to Anthony Malkin. His address is Malkin Properties, One Grand Central Place 60, E. 42nd St., NY, NY 10165.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com