The hate mail that comes into the Catholic League, on a rather steady basis, offers proof of the hatred against Catholics.
We say this knowing that some will say there is a difference between hating the Catholic League and hating Catholics. Of course there is, but it is also true that much of the hatred towards the league is expressed in a manner that goes way beyond contempt for what we’re doing. Indeed, it gets right to the heart of why the league exists—to combat defamation and discrimination against individual Catholics and the institutional Church. Take the following as one example.
Robert Rosario is the Catholic League’s auditor. We are fortunate to have him: he is supremely competent and strongly committed to our mission. On November 10, Bob was in Grand Central Station heading to catch his train home when he noticed a flyer. It read, “CATHOLIC BASHING for Fun + Profit.” There was a drawing that showed rosary beads being flushed down the toilet, along with the following statement appeared:
“A Victory Celebration for Freedom of Expression hosted by Charles Saatchi [the art collector who owns the ‘Sensation’ exhibit that the Catholic league protested]—Art patron and co-founder of Saatchi & Saatchi, Proud agency for General Mills, Kraft Foods, Toyota & Tylenol. Guest Speakers: Arnold Lehman—Director, Brooklyn Museum of Art; Chris Ofili—‘Virgin Mary’; Ben Affleck—‘Dogma.’ Venue: Saatchi & Saatchi, 375 Hudson St., Friday, 11/19, 6:30 p.m. Donations Welcome to Defray Legal Expenses.”
It looked like a scam, and it was. But that didn’t stop us from contacting the companies who were falsely mentioned in the flyer.
This just goes to show that those who object to the Catholic League’s protest of the filthy attack on Our Blessed Mother at the Brooklyn Museum of Art have a much bigger target than the league. They wouldn’t have done this unless their goal was to stick it to Catholicism. That’s why they threw the rosary beads down the toilet.
