PHONY ATTACK ON RYAN’S CATHOLICITY

Bill Donohue comments on an op-ed article in today’s New York Times by Fordham theologian Michael Peppard:

Pro-abortion Catholics have long sought to equal the playing field with pro-life Catholics by arguing that there really isn’t much of a difference between their side and the other. It never works. And it doesn’t work for Michael Peppard as well.

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is pro-life, and Vice President Joe Biden is pro-abortion. Biden has never found an abortion he couldn’t justify, and Ryan would ban all abortions save for rape, incest and the life of the mother. In the mind of Peppard, there is no difference between the two: both depart from Catholic doctrine.

Not so fast. Pope John Paul II said it was acceptable for Catholics to vote for a pro-abortion candidate in a race against another pro-abortion candidate, providing that the former is less extreme and efforts are made to persuade him to adopt a pro-life position. In other words, Catholics who exercise the virtue of prudence have no problem voting for a man whose position on abortion would save the lives of over 1 million babies a year. This is especially true when compared to a man who would not save one baby out of the 1.2 million killed every year.

In Professor Peppard’s vision, a driver who goes 56 in a 55 miles an hour speed zone is equally guilty of speeding as the one who goes 106. Technically, that may be true, but in reality, only a fool would equate their culpability.



TONY KUSHNER HONORED BY FAR LEFT

 

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on an award given to playwright and left-wing activist Tony Kushner for his “socially responsible work”:

Jews know about Tony Kushner’s “socially responsible work” by citing his many campaigns against Israel; he accuses it of engaging in “ethnic cleansing.” Catholics know of his “socially responsible work” by pointing to his defense of anti-Catholic plays, as well as his condemnation of Catholics who demonstrate against bigotry (he even took to the streets to condemn their First Amendment rights). Oh, yes, Catholics also know him as the man who blamed Pope John Paul II for the murder of Matthew Shepard. Quite a portfolio of “socially responsible work.”

Bestowing Kushner with the award is the Puffin Foundation and the Nation Institute. The Puffin Foundation says it exists to provide grants to “artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities.”

It is not known what mainstream opportunity has ever been denied to Kushner. Ditto for last year’s co-winner, the proud president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards. And how about the self-described communist, Van Jones, who won in 2008? Obama gave him a gig in the White House, didn’t he? As for the Nation Institute, Kushner is a long-time contributor to the Nation, the magazine (tied to the Institute) that once heralded Stalin for his “socially responsible work.”

In 1994, Kushner wrote a piece for the Nation that blamed capitalism for “poverty, war, alienation, environmental destruction, colonialism, unequal development, boom/bust cycles, private property, individualism, commodity fetishism, the fetishization of the body, the fetishization of violence, guns, drugs, child abuse, underfunded and bad education.” He did not blame it for AIDS. This is surprising given that he hailed socialism for promoting “homosexual liberation” (guess he never learned what Castro did to homosexuals like himself). In any event, Kushner has a moral obligation to give back his prize—no self-respecting socialist would ever cash a check for $100,000.

 



KUSHNER UNWORTHY OF HONORARY DEGREE

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the decision by trustees of the City University of New York (CUNY) not to award playwright Tony Kushner with an honorary degree:
 
As a general rule, objections to anyone being considered for an honorary degree take on weight only when there are serious reasons for doing so. An honorary degree is a statement from an academic institution that meritorious service should be recognized, but it is also a statement, ineluctably so, about the characterological attributes of the honoree. For example, a gifted orator may properly be denied if what he espouses is hatred.
 
Tony Kushner is a talented creative artist, but he is also someone who espouses hatred. CUNY trustee Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld correctly identified Kushner as a man whose relentless assaults on the democratic state of Israel effectively disqualify him from being honored by John Jay College, a CUNY institution. On that account alone, Kushner is not deserving of an honorary degree. But there is more.
 
When the Terrence McNally play, “Corpus Christi,” was performed in New York in 1998, Kushner not only defended this vile work—it portrayed Christ having sex with the 12 apostles—he lashed out at the Catholic League for exercising its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Never did we call for censorship. All we did was hold a demonstration. 
 
When Matthew Shepard, the homosexual from Wyoming, was mercilessly killed by anti-gay thugs, Kushner blamed the pope! “Pope John Paul II endorses murder,” he wrote in the Nation. 
 
Kushner’s vitriol against Israel, coupled with his Catholic bashing, make him unworthy of receiving a CUNY honorary degree. It may be that Kushner deserves to be in a Playwright Hall of Fame. But CUNY represents the norms of the academic community, and they do not counsel bigotry. Jeff Wiesenfeld raised the right issues, and made the right call. 
 


BOSTON GLOBE COVERUP?

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on an article in yesterday’s Boston Globe:
Yesterday, Boston Globe reporter Kevin Cullen said that Pope John Paul II “presided over a church that was guilty of one of the biggest institutional coverups of criminal activity in history.” He also gave credence to the charge that “Priests were raping children all over the world with impunity.” There are four errors in these two sentences.
• The John Jay College of Criminal Justice report on this issue shows very clearly that the period when most of the incidents occurred was 1960-1985. Since John Paul II was not elected until 1978, it is factually wrong to suggest that the scandal took place mostly on his watch.
• Charol Shakeshaft, the nation’s leading authority on the sexual abuse of minors in education, estimates that the rate of abuse in the public schools is approximately 100 times greater than found in the Catholic Church. Since most of those cases were never reported to the police, and since most of the offending teachers were moved from one school district to another, it is factually wrong to suggest that the Catholic Church has had a bigger problem with this issue than the public schools. Indeed, there is no evidence that the rate of abuse is any different in the Catholic Church than exists in other institutions, religious or secular.
• It is factually wrong to say that most of those abused by priests were raped: the most common infraction was “inappropriate touching.”
• Most of those abused by priests were not children—they were postpubescent males. The John Jay report found that “81 percent [of the victims] were male,” and that “more than three-quarters of the victims were post pubescent, meaning the abuse did not meet the clinical definition of pedophilia.” Amazingly, Cullen wrote this in 2004, so even he knows that the problem is homosexuality!
It’s hard to say whether Cullen is simply wrong on the facts, or whether he is the one engaged in a coverup. Maybe a little of both.
Contact Cullen: cullen@globe.com


FABRICATING OPPOSITION TO JOHN PAUL II

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the reaction to the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1:
 
The worldwide reaction to the beatification of John Paul II, from all quarters, is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. But one would never know this if one’s bible were the New York Times. Today, it reported that the beatification “has become intensely polarizing.” With good reason, it offers no survey data: polls show 90 percent of Catholics approve and so do most non-Catholics. So on what basis does it make such an extraordinary statement? Amazingly, it doesn’t even quote a single individual or organization! All it does is fall back on the proverbial, “critics say” line of journalism. 
 
John Allen, normally reliable, isn’t much better. He says, “I am aware that there’s some ambivalence” about the process. Sure he is aware of some consternation—he obviously reads the newspaper he writes for, namely, the National Catholic Reporter (it has become so violently critical of the Catholic Church that it has undermined its own credibility as a serious Catholic organ). As evidence to support the “ambivalence” thesis, Allen cites an angry ex-nun. So what else is new?
 
So who else thinks John Paul unworthy? Well, we have the ultra-leftist Nation magazine, the near-defunct Time magazine and the ever-critical Huffington Post. Then there is the usual stable of carping Catholics: Maureen Dowd, James Carroll and Rev. Richard McBrien (the pope had “a terrible record”).  
 
One final note. In making his case against John Paul II, author Jason Berry says that when accusations were made against the disgraced late priest, Father Maciel (who admittedly hoodwinked the pope), I “responded immediately with a letter to the Courant, scoffing at the allegations.” Berry knows this is a lie, and that’s because I previously gave him the evidence. What I contested was whether, as alleged, Pope Pius XII not only gave Maciel the green light to have sex with seminarians, he recommended doing so for the purpose of relieving “physical pain.” Now if Berry believes that, he needs to see a shrink. 
 


POPE VISIT ENRAGES REV. IAN PAISLEY

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the reaction of Rev. Ian Paisley to Pope Benedict XVI:

When Pope John Paul II visited the U.K. in 1982, Rev. Ian Paisley heckled him and unfurled a banner reading, “The Beast is Coming.” Now the founding member and past Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster promises to attack Pope Benedict XVI. None of this is new, but what is not widely known is Paisley’s duplicity: he recently said he is opposed to the pope’s trip because of the failure of the Catholic Church to take cases of priestly sexual abuse seriously. Yet the record shows that his own role in dealing with such matters is disgraceful.

· In 2006, two sisters went public claiming they were previously abused by a lay preacher in Paisley’s church. One of the sisters met with Paisley and two senior ministers about this issue in 2003, only to be told that it was best to “leave this in [our] hands.”

· In 2002, a Sunday school teacher in Paisley’s church in Toronto was found guilty of sexually abusing a 13 year-old girl. Four years later, the victim’s father was livid that the offender was still a member of the church; he demanded an apology and requested a meeting with Paisley. Paisley refused to meet with him.

· In 1973, a missionary from Paisley’s church provided him with evidence that a homosexual house warden was having sex with boys in the home. Paisley ignored her plea and refused to investigate.

Paisley is not the only embarrassment. Before Gordon Brown left office as prime minister, he elevated Paisley to the House of Lords. Nice to know the Brits are still conferring titles on anti-Catholic bigots.

When Pope John Paul II made his visit, he was pelted with missiles and an arsonist armed with a gallon of petrol sought to light a fire. Given the current wave of militant atheism, we hope the authorities are well prepared to deal with these secular fanatics this time around.



PARISHES IN DUTCHESS COUNTY CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 50 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every parish in the Dutchess 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



HINDU, MUSLIM AND MORMON ALLIES CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 69 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every one of our Hindu, Muslim and Mormon allies in the Tri-State area informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue (enter at 34th and 6th).

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



JEWISH ALLIES CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 68 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every one of our Jewish allies in the Tri-State area informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue (enter at 34th and 6th).

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



PROTESTANT ALLIES CONTACTED; MOTHER TERESA CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Day 67 of the protest campaign on behalf of Mother Teresa:

Today I am writing to every one of our Protestant allies in the Tri-State area informing them of our protest demonstration at 6 p.m. on August 26 outside the Empire State Building on 34th Street and 5th Avenue (enter at 34th and 6th).

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