Planned Parenthood of New York and Catholics for a Free Choice blasted Archbishop Edward M. Egan of New York yesterday for his Sunday homily urging Catholics to vote for those “who share our commitment to fundamental rights for the unborn.” The Archbishop’s appeal was also made in the form of a letter he sent to all parishes in the New York Archdiocese.
Commenting on the criticism of the Archbishop was Catholic League president William Donohue:
“There is a cruel irony in the lecture Archbishop Egan received from Planned Parenthood of New York and Catholics for a Free Choice. Both organizations have spent the entire fall campaigning for pro-abortion candidates and have never uttered one word of criticism at those ministers and rabbis who have allowed their churches and synagogues to become a playground for Republicans and Democrats seeking election. Now they have the nerve to criticize Archbishop Egan for simply exercising his freedom of speech.
“Planned Parenthood and Catholics for a Free Choice have something else in common: both have their origins in bigotry. Planned Parenthood was founded to promote the eugenic ideal of limiting the African American population and Catholics for a Free Choice was founded as an explicitly anti-Catholic organization. Neither has any moral authority to advise any Catholic leader on any subject.
“What’s really bothering the pro-abortion lobby is Archbishop Egan’s willingness to engage the culture. They’d better get used to it.”
