New York Daily News Religion editor Charles W. Bell wrote a solid piece on the Catholic League (August 21) following an interview with League president Bill Donohue.
Headlined “Catholic group uses media to defend faith,” the well-written and positive article compared the League’s role to that of the ADL. The article dispelled the myth that the League is somehow supported or subsidized by the church by pointedly noting that we pay rent to the New York Archdiocese for the space occupied by our national headquarters.
“Blacks, Jews and homosexuals get more respect in this country than Catholics,” Donohue told Bell. “I’m going to relentlessly hammer this home.”
Donohue made it clear that the League wasn’t interested in attacking well-intentioned humor or satire involving the church but he noted, “There is a line and it is crossed when Catholics are held up to ridicule simply because of their faith.”
Bell and Donohue frankly discussed some of the difficulties encountered by the League in the transition years following founder, Father Virgil C. Blum’s death. Donohue made it clear that as far as he and the board of directors were concerned, that was history and the League was moving aggressively forward to build its base of support and make itself the Catholic counter-part of the Anti-Defamation League.
