On December 9, 1994, the Catholic League successfully pressured Barneys New York, an upscale clothing store, into removing an offensive nativity scene from its storefront window on Madison Avenue and 6lst Street. The exhibit, entitled "Hello Kitty Nativity Scene," was the work of artist Tom Sachs. The display was a crude characterization, one that featured three Bart [...]
On November 17, 1994, the U.S. Postal Service announced that beginning in 1995 there would be no more printing of the Christmas stamp series reproducing paintings of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. Upon hearing this news, the Catholic League moved quickly to state its objections. We issued a news release and wrote to every [...]
We have rolled into 1995 with a string of victories. Dr. Elders is gone, Bameys department store has been chastened, nativity scenes have appeared on public grounds and the Madonna and Child stamp series has been saved. The Catholic League was involved in all of these victories, sometimes in communion with others, and sometimes strictly on our [...]
By William A. Donohue Newt Gingrich knows how to get people's attention. Even before he became Speaker of the House, Congressman Gingrich was upsetting the status quo by recommending such heresies as a school prayer amendment. It didn't take long before reporters were calling the Catholic League asking for our comments. Many were surprised by our [...]
Time magazine's Man of the Year for 1994 is Pope John Paul II. Echoing the League's October 16 ad in the New York Times, the magazine's editors praise the Pontiff for being resolute about his ideals "in a time of moral confusion." They go on to call him a charismatic figure who, in a recent interview with [...]
The Catholic League is delighted to see that one of the most outspoken anti-Catholic bigots in the Clinton administration has been axed. Joycelyn Elders was nominated to the office of Surgeon General by President Clinton in 1993 and confirmed later by the Senate. The Catholic League opposed her nomination and confirmation from the beginning. Her anti-Catholic [...]
The latest installment in the Catholic League's public service ad campaign came in November in Washington D.C., where fifty buses carried seven foot long posters o fthe ad. The ad appears in the box below. The ad provoked a large and controversial response. In response to correspondence related to the ad, the Surgeon General's office called [...]
The Massachusetts Legislature, meeting in joint Constitutional Convention on Dec. 20, failed to repeal the anti-Catholic "Know-Nothing"Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution. The amendment, a product of vicious 19th century anti-Catholicism, prohibits any form of state aid to Catholic school students. The repeal measure was sponsored by Senate President William M. Bulger. The opposition was led by the [...]
In December, the Catholic League was struck by the prevalence of menorahs on public property and the absence of creches in the same places. Menorahs were evident in public schools, post offices, train stations and in public parks, but there were noticeably few creches. Christians were told that they should be satisfied with the display of [...]
Ex-cons have rights, too, and no right should be given greater prominence than freedom to worship. That was the central motivating force behind the League's willingness to support a grievance by Robert Scone, a man convicted for sexually molesting his own children. Once Scone was released from prison, he was denied by the Division of Parole [...]
