Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the findings of an Australian commission report on the sexual abuse of children:

The Australian report says that 7 percent of priests who worked in Australia between 1950 and 2009 had an accusation of child sexual abuse made against him. It recommended, among other things, that the Catholic Church end mandatory celibacy, saying it is tied to sexual abuse.

The 7 percent figure is virtually meaningless: what matters are cases of alleged abuse that have been substantiated. For instance, in the U.S., between 1950 and 2002, accusations of abuse were made against 4 percent of the clergy. But only half were substantiated.

In other words, the real number was half the reported figure; that may be true in Australia as well. At least in the U.S. an attempt was made to validate the accusations, which is more than can be said for the Australian “royal commission.”

Citing celibacy dodges several issues. The rate of sexual abuse of minors among the Protestant clergy in the U.S. is at least as high, if not higher, than exists among Catholic priests. Most of them are married. What about stepfathers? It is not celibacy that is driving their numbers.

Most signficant, are calls for ending mandatory celibacy a nice way of saying that there are too many homosexuals in the Catholic clergy? If so, the commission should come right out and say so.

We do know that in the U.S., 81 percent of the clergy victims were male, and 78 percent were postpubescent, meaning that homosexuals committed most of the abuse; less than 5 percent of the abusers were determined to be pedophiles (see the John Jay College of Criminal Justice reports on this subject).

Though it is not considered polite to say so, most people know that homosexuals are responsible for the lion’s share of the problem in the Catholic Church. This includes those who insist they are gay-friendly.

“Look, it’s a fact of life. Priests, a lot of times, molest boys. Okay? They are celibate and it’s a magnet for homosexual pedophiles.” The author of those words is Bill Maher, made on August 9, 2000.

It’s time we dealt with this issue honestly, free of political considerations.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the new publisher at the New York Times:

Arthur Gregg Sulzberger has been named as the new publisher of the New York Times; he was previously the deputy publisher of the newspaper. The appointment was made by Arthur Gregg’s father, Arthur Sulzberger Jr. He got his job because his predecessor, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, was his father. Thus does the white male dynasty continue.

A.G., as Arthur Gregg is known (it was confusing at the newspaper so they settled on his initials), represents the fifth generation of his family since the Grand Patriarch, Adolph S. Ochs, bought the newspaper in 1896.

When A.G. was named deputy publisher, the only two candidates for the job were white males, Sam Dolnick and David Perpich. The hiring process was a classic case of nepotism. Indeed, it was incestuous: the three men are cousins.

This time around, there was no competition at all. A.G. was simply anointed publisher by his father. A more stunning patriarchy would be hard to find, even in Third World nations.

No women were interviewed for the top spot. No blacks were interviewed. No Latinos (including the undocumented) were interviewed. No Native Americans were interviewed. No Asians were interviewed. No Catholics were interviewed. No Protestants were interviewed. No Muslims were interviewed. No Mormons were interviewed. Most astonishingly, no transgender persons were interviewed. Who needs affirmative action? Who needs to advertise? Who needs a head hunter? This is an old-boys club par excellence. Indeed, it makes glass ceilings look benign—this ceiling is made of cement, one that will never be penetrated by women or minorities. So much for diversity. But we can’t fault the Times for not respecting inclusion: it does a magnificent job of including its own.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on efforts by New York Senator Chuck Schumer to help Catholic inmates in Brooklyn:

Catholic inmates do not lose their constitutional right to religious liberty, and this certainly includes being ministered to by a priest. Yet that right has been vacated for too long in Brooklyn: the Metropolitan Detention Center has not had a Roman Catholic chaplain in its employ for most of the year. With Christmas upon us, this is unconscionable.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer is contesting this long-standing vacancy, and he needs the support of all Catholics. He has registered a complaint with the federal Bureau of Prisons. You can do so as well.

Kudos to Senator Schumer.

Contact: BOP-IPP/PublicAffairs@bop.gov

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Ken Friedman, a prominent New York City chef accused of sexual misconduct:

On election night 2012, New York City restaurant icon Ken Friedman co-hosted a party for liberal Democrats. “I’m very political,” he told the New York Times. By that he meant he champions women’s rights. Now he is accused of preying on women, just like his liberal buddy, Mario Batali.

Friedman likes to travel in elite celebrity circles, serving the likes of Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair; they even own restaurants together. One of Friedman’s prize possessions is the Spotted Pig, known by Zagat for its “celeb sightings.” The Pig is also home to male pigs.

The third floor of the Pig, fondly known as the “rape room,” is where fat cats like Friedman and Batali strut their stuff. This is where a drunken Batali was caught on video molesting a gal in 2008.

Ten women have accused Friedman of all sorts of sexual misconduct. Some say they were required to pull “all-night shifts at private parties that included public sex and nudity.” Friendly’s never sounded so attractive.

Some of the women are also gems. One woman who objected to Friedman going too far said she didn’t mind being groped. “There is a grab-ass, superfun late night culture—I love that part of the industry.” So do the men.

Liberals, of course, deplore Catholic sexual ethics: exercising restraint is a taboo. But not rape. Which is why liberal celebs from Hollywood studios to Big Apple restaurants are finally paying the bill for decades of cultural corruption and sexual debasement.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the Boston Globe’s self-report on employee cases of sexual misconduct:

The explosion of cases involving major public figures tied to sexual abuse and harassment has inspired some persons and organizations to probe their own sexual deeds. The latest to do so is the Boston Globe, the newspaper that exposed sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston.

What the Boston Globe‘s internal audit found, and how it reported it, will be addressed in a separate statement. We will have plenty to say about it. Of immediate interest is how the Boston media covered the Globe’s story.

Every undergraduate journalism student knows that when guilty persons or organizations decide to disclose bad news, they choose Friday evening to bleed the story. That’s what the Globe did on Friday: it conveniently waited until the workday ended—right before 6:00 p.m.—to release its online self-report story.

Every undergraduate journalism student also knows that the lowest newspaper circulation day is Saturday. That’s when the Globe conveniently published its self-report.

If this game isn’t insulting enough, consider that the newspaper got a big boost from most of its competitors: with few exceptions, they went mute, refusing to discuss the story.

The two Boston media outlets that did the best reporting on the Globe’s internal probe were CBS-TV and WEEI. The latter is interesting given that it is a sports radio network (Alex Reimer did a fine job covering the story). ABC-TV and New England Cable News (NECN) also reported on the investigation.

So where was NBC? Where was PBS? Where was Fox? Where were all the other major news outlets, most especially the Boston Herald?

Why did the national media—newspapers, wire services, broadcast television, cable television, the Internet—ignore this story?

Why are they covering for their competitors? Are they afraid of opening up this can of worms even further, bringing down some of their own? It sure seems as though they are finding solidarity in silence.

When it comes to priests, however, many in the Boston media—none is worse than the Globe—find solidarity trying to bring down the Church.

This is just one more reason why the media’s credibility is at an all-time low.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the league’s nativity scene in New York City:

There is a lot of misinformation about the display of a crèche on public property. Hopefully, the pro-Christmas side will learn something from what happened today.

The Catholic League’s life-size nativity scene was erected today in Central Park (it is across from the Plaza Hotel, on 5th Avenue between 58th and 59th streets). This is a tradition that spans more than two decades.

It is entirely constitutional: no one can stop Christians from displaying a manger scene on public property, just so long as it is considered a public forum, such as a park. Problems emerge when the site chosen for display is on or near a seat of government.

Here’s some good news: The anti-Christmas side will be forced to endure the indignity of seeing our nativity scene for weeks to come, right through the new year. To be exact, our foes who take the 5th Avenue bus downtown cannot help but see it. Oh, yes, we proudly have the name Catholic League splashed alongside the crèche’s base.

This is our way of saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holy Days.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Mario Batali’s latest troubles:

When Pope Francis came to Washington in 2015, he met with Kim
Davis, the brave Kentucky clerk who, on religious liberty grounds, refused a marriage license to homosexual couples. Chef Mario Batali objected to the meeting, calling out the pope. Now Batali is being called out for sexually abusing four women.

He has apologized and has taken a leave of absence from his work, including hosting a segment on “The Chew.” This is not the first time the liberal superstar has been in trouble.

Five years ago, Batali and his partner agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle their cash-skimming schemes at eight high-scale restaurants. They took 4-5 percent of the tips from employees, ripping off the busboys to pay for the sommeliers’ salaries. The money he paid out was shared by 1,100 employees; many were forced to work more than 40 hours a week without making minimum wage. In other words, he stole from the poor and gave to the rich.

Batali condemns the pope, and preys on the poor and women, all the while championing their cause. No matter, he remains a liberal in good standing—there will be no “SNL” skit lampooning him. If anything, look for him to run for office.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on “SMILF”:

Much to the approval of Showtime, women are treated as sexual toys by Hollywood moguls and actors. Indeed, it basks in the sexual exploitation of women so much so that it named a show after sexual predators, “Single Mothers I’d Like to F***.” It goes by the acronym, “SMILF.”

The twisted show upped the ante a few weeks ago when it suggested that the Virgin Mary was raped and forced to give birth. Last night it depicted a homosexual priest sexually embracing a drunk.

Women are objectified, Christianity is trashed, and homosexuality is flaunted. No wonder “SMILF” was just nominated for the 2018 Golden Globes “best comedy” show. But it is not sure what Hollywood likes best: inviting men to see women as harlots, or bashing Christianity.

One more thing. Hollywood has no problem with sexism—it enjoys treating women like dirt, both on the screen and in real life—but it has no tolerance for racism. This explains why a show titled “SBMILF” (the “B” being for Black) would never be accepted.

Contact Morgan Fouch, VP Entertainment Public Relations: morgan.fouch@showtime.net

Many of those public figures who enabled sexual predators with whom they worked have a record of bashing Catholicism, oftentimes for the sexual offenses of a tiny minority of priests. To read our account of who they are, and what they said, click here.

This is Part II of a two-part series. Part I dealt with those accused of sexual misconduct. If you missed it, click here.

Many of those public figures who are now in the hot seat over allegations of sexual misconduct have a record of bashing Catholicism, oftentimes for the sexual offenses of a tiny minority of priests. To read our account of who they are, and what they said, click here.

This is Part I of a two-part series. Part II, which will be released tomorrow, will cover “Sexual Enablers Who Trashed Catholicism.”