Citing examples from Boston and Milwaukee, Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on some disturbing parallels: “In 1977, Rev. Paul Shanley, the Boston pedophile and homosexual, said that when an adult and child have sex, ‘the adult is not the seducer—the kid is the seducer.’ In 1988, Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland said that when an [...]
There has been much discussion lately about the role of diocesan review boards in assessing charges of priestly sexual misconduct. Catholic League president William Donohue offered the league’s position on this subject today: “The Catholic League supports lay involvement on diocesan review boards that investigate cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests. But it cautions that [...]
Responding to reports that Archbishop Rembert Weakland paid $450,000 to a man who accused him of sexual assault two decades ago is Catholic League president William Donohue: “Any priest who violates his vow of celibacy is guilty of wrongdoing. Married men and women who break their marital vows are also guilty of wrongdoing. But it needs [...]
The Courier-Post, a New Jersey daily newspaper, announced on May 13 that it is conducting a student-essay contest on the sexual-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. “The alleged abuse of minors by priests in the Catholic Church is the subject of May’s Student Voices essay and editorial cartoon contest. Entries must answer the question, ‘What should students [...]
It was reported today that CBS will not air this fall a controversial show about a Catholic priest. Produced by Sylvester Stallone, “Father Lefty” did not make the midseason lineup either. As recently as May 8, it was reported that Stallone was confident that CBS president Leslie Moonves would not let him down. An AP story [...]
The NBC show, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” will target Catholic priests in its season finale on May 17. The episode, “Silence,” features a senior priest involved in pedophilia and a subsequent diocesan coverup. Catholic League president William Donohue delivered the following remarks today: “The episode of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ that will [...]
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is expected to file suit today challenging the way the state of Louisiana has used taxpayer’s money to promote sexual abstinence. The ACLU contends that Louisiana is allowing government funds to promote religion; it cites examples where a religious theme has been evident in some instances where the program has [...]
Catholic League president William Donohue explained today why the league is monitoring attorneys involved in prosecuting cases of priestly sexual abuse: “Just as no attorney who is prosecuting cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests should immediately be declared suspect, none should escape examination himself. The Catholic League has found that, by and large, attorneys involved [...]
Last week, the Connecticut state House passed a bill that would require Catholic priests to report allegations of child sexual abuse disclosed in the confessional. Now the state Senate has struck down this provision arguing that an exemption must be made for the confessional. State law in Connecticut requires clergy to report to civil authorities any [...]
Catholic League president William Donohue issued the following remarks today regarding the arrest of Rev. Paul Shanley, the sex abusing priest formerly of the Archdiocese of Boston: “It is wrong to say that Shanley was mentally ill and it is equally wrong to dismiss him as a pedophile. Shanley did what he did because he knew [...]
