In the last issue of Catalyst, we ran a story citing our objections to certain questions posted in the Catholic section of Beliefnet. It was enough to have us complain to ABC about the newly announced partnership with Beliefnet, the Internet company that addresses religious issues from across all the major faith groups. The story ended saying that [...]
Amidst charges and countercharges, the International Catholic-Jewish Commission studying the role of Pope Pius XII during the Holocaust crashed in July after two years of work. No one is satisfied with the outcome. The panel of three Catholic and three Jewish scholars began examining 11 volumes of Vatican archival documents in 1999 (the Catholic contingent was [...]
An appeals court in California has ruled that Catholic Charities must cover contraception for its workers. A similar measure is pending in New York state. At stake is a central religious liberty question: To be exact, to what extent can the state dictate to religious organizations? It has not gone unnoticed that this separation of church [...]
by Ronald Rychlak (Catalyst 9/2001) The self-destruction of the Catholic-Jewish Pope Pius XII study group came as little surprise to those who had been following its progress closely. From the very beginning, several members of that group rejected their mandate and instead sought to force a change in Vatican archival policy. When the Vatican stood its [...]
by Robert P. Lockwood (Catalyst 9/2001) She was one of the most famous imposters in the history of the United States, yet her story can still be found in the bookstores and is widely available on the Internet. Maria Monk was the 19th century woman who claimed to be a nun that finally escaped after years [...]
“Liam” is the story of a Depression-era Liverpool family seen through the eyes of a 7-year-old boy. The movie opened in select theaters today and was previewed by Catholic League research analyst Louis Giovino. Of interest to the Catholic League is the dreary tale of Liam’s experience preparing for First Communion. All Liam learns in school is [...]
On September 20, the San Francisco Examiner published an article by one of its contributors, Kimberly Blaker, that accused the Catholic Church of organizing and supporting “clones” of Islamic terrorism. In addition, the Catholic League was branded a “violent” organization. After criticizing Rev. Jerry Falwell for his remarks blaming the ACLU, gays and lesbians, et al. for secularizing [...]
In response to a complaint by the Catholic League, eBay, the most famous Internet auction site, has withdrawn an offensive item from its marketplace. On September 20, the Catholic League learned that eBay had listed a “Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception Condom” on its website. On the condom is a picture of the Virgin Mary holding baby [...]
Beginning Monday, September 17, the Catholic League was scheduled to run an ad on television. But due to the national crisis, the ad has been withdrawn. Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows: “We were ready to air a one-minute ad on TV aimed at getting new members, but due to the terrorist attacks on [...]
On September 10, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on S. 104, “Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 2001.” The bill, introduced by Senator Olympia Snowe, would require private health insurance plans that cover drugs to cover prescription contraceptives. The legislation does not provide for a conscience [...]
