Catholic League president Bill Donohue offers the latest evidence of duplicity on the part of the media and civil libertarians:
A nun is accused of embezzling $1.2 million from Iona College, a Catholic institution outside New York City. A rabbinical court in Brooklyn orders its members not to report crimes to the police. Two New York stories: one about Sister Marie Thornton, the alleged thief; the other about the Beth Din of Crown Heights. Which one interests the media?
The story on the nun is being carried on the front page of Google’s “New York” section, and has been picked up by Yahoo!, the AP, UPI, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, USA Today, Huffington Post, and dozens of other media outlets. The story on the rabbinical court has been picked up by the New York Daily News and Gothamist.com. That’s it. The story about the Jewish court is a week old; the one on the nun broke today.
In an edict to its 10,000 members, the Beth Din of Crown Heights warned against creating bad relations with the police. Fine. But it also said [click here and see #4] that “No one shall bring to any media outlet, information about any resident that could, if publicized, lead to an investigation or intensified prosecution by any law-enforcement agency.” In other words, if a rabbi rapes a kid, no one is to report it to the cops.
I am writing to Brooklyn D.A. Charles Hynes asking him if he would have any objections if the Diocese of Brooklyn adopted the same policy.
Moreover, since it is okay during election years for African-American ministers to endorse politicians in their churches, and it is okay to spend public funds for prayer rugs and foot baths for Muslims, the time has come for Catholic bishops to a) order their priests not to report crimes to the police b) endorse politicians at Mass and c) demand public monies for kneelers and holy water receptacles.
Contact the Brooklyn D.A.: hynesc@brooklynda.org
