In addition to sending this news release to those on the Catholic League’s media list, this one is being faxed to all 134 Catholic parishes in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. Catholic League president William Donohue explained why he is taking this unusual step:
“Jimmy Breslin is out of control and Newsday is irresponsible for not firing him. It is one thing to write critically of the Catholic Church, quite another to slander the Church and its leaders. In 2002, Breslin wrote 31 articles mentioning the Catholic Church and all 31 are sprinkled with his venom. Disdain and derision mark his comments about the pope, cardinals, bishops and pastors, and outright falsehoods are relentlessly told about Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre.
“Breslin is so far gone he doesn’t even know the names of those whom he bashes. His latest screed attacking the Catholic Church, which Newsday deliberately ran on Christmas Eve, mentions ‘Cardinal John Law.’ But there is no one by that name in the Catholic Church. This is, sadly, emblematic of a deeper problem: for whatever reason, Breslin’s ability to write cogently and to remember basic facts has deteriorated greatly in recent years.
“Newsday’s publisher, Raymond Jansen, defends this man by saying, ‘Obviously, Mr. Breslin is angry.’ That is exactly what he told Rev. Msgr. Daniel S. Hamilton of Our Lady of Perpetual Help when Msgr. Hamilton wrote a rational letter of complaint to Jansen. In short, Newsday has decided to stand by its man. All Catholics on Long Island need to know this; the Catholic League will get the word out.
“How ironic it is that Newsday continues to employ a man whom they had to suspend for two weeks in 1990 because of his sexism and racism. Breslin was suspended for calling a 25 year-old Korean Newsday reporter a ‘yellow cur,’ ‘slant-eyed’ ‘c—.’ Breslin can now add anti-Catholic to his resume of racism and sexism. And this is the man Newsday defends.”
