MORE LIES BY EMPIRE STATE BLDG. OFFICIALS

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest news release by Empire State Building officials:

They are now saying that they have had a policy in place since August 2006 which “state[s] clearly that we do not accommodate requests for religious figures or requests by religions and religious organizations.” They also say that their guidelines make plain that “all organizations must agree [to this policy] as a condition for submitting an application.”

This is a lie. On April 25, 2009, the tower was aglow in blue and white in recognition of the Salesian Sisters, an order of Roman Catholic nuns.

Here is further proof. When I submitted my application on February 2, there was no such guideline that I had to agree to up front. Indeed, if there had been such a rule, I would never have bothered to fill out the application. No, this “policy” is being made up now because they are on the run. To read the evidence, click here to see my application.

So they not only refuse to honor Mother Teresa, they are lying about their indefensible decision. Hence, the demonstration will go forward on August 26, right outside the Empire State Building.

Contact Daniel Hernandez, the PR genius for the Empire State Building: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com




HIGH SCHOOLS IN CONNECTICUT CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 22 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every Catholic high school in the state of Connecticut informing them of our protest demonstration 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




MALKIN CAUGHT IN MORE LIES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued the following remarks today on the league’s ongoing controversy with Anthony Malkin, the owner of the Empire State Building who denied Mother Teresa the honor of having the building towers shine blue and white on August 26, the 100th anniversary of her birthday:

Malkin said yesterday that he has a policy denying any tribute to religious individuals or organizations. As I pointed out yesterday, that didn’t stop them from honoring John Cardinal O’Connor and Pope John Paul II when they died, nor did it stop a tribute to the Salvation Army on its 125th anniversary, or Rev. Martin Luther King last January. I have now learned that on April 25, 2009, the towers were aglow in blue and white in honor of the Salesian Sisters, an order of Roman Catholic nuns.

In other words, Malkin is obviously lying about his so-called policy, and for some reason harbors an animus against Mother Teresa. He owes it to everyone to come clean and tell the truth about what makes him really tick. Like a coward, he refuses to debate me on TV. Meantime, we are going ahead with our demonstration on August 26, and will not yield unless he comes to his senses.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com




ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN CONNECTICUT CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 21 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every Catholic elementary school in the state of Connecticut informing them of our protest demonstration 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




MOTHER TERESA TRIBUTE DENIED

Anthony Malkin, owner of the Empire State Building, released a statement today saying, “As a privately owned building, ESB has a specific policy against any other lighting for religious figures or requests by religions and religious organizations.”

Commenting is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:

Malkin is either misinformed or he is lying. Here’s the proof: When John Cardinal O’Connor died in 2000, the Empire State Building was lighted in red and white; in 2005, when Pope John Paul II died, the tower lights were extinguished in his honor; also in 2005, the tower was aglow in yellow, red and blue in tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Salvation Army; and every year the colors red, black and green are lit in memory of Rev. Martin Luther King. In other words, there is no policy barring religious figures or organizations from being honored.

When I applied to the Empire State Building on February 2, I received a phone call from Nicole Grzywacz, Public Relations and Events Coordinator, saying the application had been received. She never indicated there was any policy which would prohibit my request. Indeed, when I spoke to her assistant, Stacy Ann, she never implied that there was a problem.

Malkin has made his decision to stiff Catholics. I have made mine: We will call off our petition drive, but we will go forward with our demonstration outside the Empire State Building on August 26. His decision to double down at this juncture—in the face of massive support for our request—is something he will regret for the rest of his life.

Contact Daniel Hernandez: daniel.hernandez@edelman.com




LADY GAGA MIMICS MADONNA

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Lady Gaga’s newly released music video, “Alejandro”:

Lady Gaga is playing Madonna copy cat, squirming around half-naked with half-naked guys, abusing Catholic symbols—they’re always Catholic symbols—while bleating out “Alejandro” enough times to induce vomit. Dressed occasionally as a nun in a glossy-red habit, the Madonna wannabe flashes the cross, swallows a rosary and manages to get raped by her S&M boyfriends. Hence, she has now become the new poster girl for American decadence and Catholic bashing, sans the looks and talent of her role model.

Like Madonna, Lady Gaga was raised Catholic and then morphed into something unrecognizable. “So I suppose you could say I’m a quite religious woman that is very confused about religion,” she told Larry King last week.

That she is confused is an understatement. In any event, we hope she finds her way back home. In the meantime, Catholics will settle for her treating us like Muslims.




COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN NEW JERSEY CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 20 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every Catholic college and university in the state of New Jersey informing them of our protest demonstration on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision of Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, not to overrule those who have chosen 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 denied without explanation. 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 that evening. 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.

To sign our petition click here.

Contact Melanie Maasch at the Empire State Building: mmaasch@esbnyc.com




HAWKING POSITS FALSE CONFLICT

In an interview last night with ABC-News reporter Diane Sawyer, scientist Stephen Hawking opined that human life is “insignificant in the universe,” and then went on to say that “There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason.” He concluded by saying, “Science will win because it works.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue took exception to Hawking’s views today:

How any rational person could belittle the pivotal role that human life plays in the universe is a wonder, but it is just as silly to say that all religions are marked by the absence of reason. While there are some religions which are devoid of reason, there are others, such as Roman Catholicism, which have long assigned it a special place.

It was the Catholic Church that created the first universities, and it was the Catholic Church that played a central role in the Scientific Revolution; these two historical contributions made possible Mr. Hawking’s career.

Reason, in pursuit of truth, has been reiterated by the Church fathers for nearly two millennia. That is why Hawking posits a false conflict: in the annals of the Catholic Church, there is no inherent conflict between science and religion. Quite the contrary: science and religion, in Catholic thought, are complementary properties. Ergo, nothing is gained by alleging a “victory” of science over religion.

Religion without reason, Pope Benedict XVI instructed us in his Regensburg address in 2006, leads to fanaticism. That much Hawking seems to understand. What he doesn’t get is its contra: science without faith also leads to disaster—the genocidal regimes in Germany, the Soviet Union, China and Cambodia being Exhibits A, B, C and D.




HIGH SCHOOLS IN NEW JERSEY CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 19 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Newark, the Diocese of Trenton, the Diocese of Paterson and the Diocese of Metuchen informing them of our protest demonstration on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision of Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, not to overrule those who have chosen 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 denied without explanation. 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 that evening. 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.

To sign our petition click here.

Contact Melanie Maasch at the Empire State Building: mmaasch@esbnyc.com




ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN NEW JERSEY CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 18 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Newark, the Diocese of Trenton, the Diocese of Paterson and the Diocese of Metuchen informing them of our protest demonstration on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue.

The rally is being held to protest the decision of Anthony Malkin, the owner of the storied building, not to overrule those who have chosen 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 denied without explanation. 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 that evening. 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.

To sign our petition click here.

Contact Melanie Maasch at the Empire State Building: mmaasch@esbnyc.com