Several states are now reconsidering bills that would end the exemption for the priest-penitent privilege. In every instance, the Catholic League has been integrally involved in challenging any legislation aimed at breaking the confessional seal. The most dramatic success occurred in Maryland, Iowa and West Virginia. Led by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Archdiocese of Washington, [...]
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal to reconsider a ruling made in June, 2002 by a three-member panel of judges that held the Pledge of Allegiance to be unconstitutional because of the words “under God.” The three judges slightly altered their earlier ruling which had banned the Pledge in all public forums; [...]
William A. Donohue Were it not for Father Virgil Blum, there would have been no Catholic League. A Jesuit professor of political science at Marquette University, Father Blum founded the Catholic League in 1973 as an anti-defamation organization. The organization’s goal is in its title: religious and civil rights. From the beginning, the Catholic League has [...]
By William A. Donohue The sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church is being used by state lawmakers to crack the wall of separation of church and state. Unless this is resisted by the hierarchy of the Church, state meddling in the internal workings of the Church will grow. One of the more conspicuous examples is [...]
It was a great victory for abortion protesters. Thanks to pro-life activist Joe Scheidler, it will now be easier for those opposed to abortion to exercise their First Amendment rights. On February 26, the U.S. Supreme Court in an 8-1 decision ruled that the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as the [...]
On January 21, the six Democratic contenders for the presidency appeared at a NARAL Pro-Choice America event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. The following day, the actual anniversary date of the abortion ruling, NARAL president Kate Michelman and Planned Parenthood president Gloria Feldt held a press conference in Washington [...]
Many people admire Bill O’Reilly for his aggressive style and his emphasis on “no-spin” reporting. He delights in being a contrarian. It is also well known that O’Reilly is a Catholic, and in discussions of Catholicism he often gets in over his head, as he does while opining on other subjects. Lately O’Reilly has picked up [...]
It would not be St. Patrick’s Day without controversy, and this year was no exception. This time the controversy swirled around New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and the Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick. The Catholic League, not surprisingly, had a hand in the turmoil. The problem began when Spitzer was chosen [...]
With short notice, parents of Catholic school students in South Dakota were told the state would no longer provide busing for their children. But the controversy came to a quick end when lawmakers found a compromise measure. It all began when public schools that provide busing to parochial school students were told they can no longer [...]
Despite all the talk about how religious Americans have become since 9-11, anti-religious fanatics abound these days. Here are three fast examples. It is hardly surprising to learn that the logo for a city in New Mexico by the name Las Cruces, which means “the crosses,” features—you guessed it—multiple crosses. But to the good-humored folks at [...]
