On April 5, 50 members of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan marched in downtown Pittsburgh, drawing public denunciation from the Catholic League. Some wore Nazi uniforms and organizers of the march declared it a victory for white supremacists. The league denounced the march and was particularly upset with the attempt by the Klan [...]
The March 10 edition of Time published a column entitled “Winners and Losers” that listed Pope John Paul II as a “loser” for condemning ads that “shock, titillate and tempt.” Next to a picture of the Pope, it said, “But will Calvin Klein listen?” The league sent a letter to the magazine stating the following: “Why the Pope [...]
by William A. Donohue In some Catholic quarters, it has become commonplace to assert that Catholics are free to do what their conscience instructs. But if this were the case, then there is nothing particularly Catholic about this position. After all, are not agnostics and atheists also free to let their conscience decide moral questions? The [...]
by William A. Donohue We will soon know whether it is okay for doctors to kill their patients and whether religious institutions can govern without undue governmental interference. The common denominator is one of autonomy: how much slack should government accord those who claim that they have a constitutional right to do what they want? It [...]
An article by James Carroll, “The Silence,” in the April 7 edition of the New Yorker magazine, repeats the old canard about the Vatican’s silence during the Holocaust. Carroll, who left the priesthood years ago, wants readers to believe that the Vatican sat on its hands while Jews were killed throughout Europe. That the truth is [...]
Escondido Union High School District in California broke with precedent in 1997 by requiring all students to attend classes on Good Friday. San Diego chapter president Carl Horst objected and pressed school officials for a response. In a new release on this subject, Horst addressed the school district’s change in policy: “The fact that the change [...]
In the last issue of Catalyst, we reported that USA Volleyball had scheduled games on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The league objected, stressing the need to accommodate those Christians who wanted to attend religious services. At press time we had not gotten a response to our concerns, but one was forthcoming shortly thereafter. In a memo [...]
On March 24, a cartoon was printed in the Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania newspaper) showing Anthony Lake, the CIA director nominee who dropped out of the running, wearing a crown of thorns and swinging a cross. Across the top of the cross it read, “Confirmation Process,” and below the cartoon was the inscription, “You can take [...]
On the March 18 episode of the ABC show, "The Practice," a priest was shown violating the seal of confession. Under oath, a man playing a priest testified at a criminal trial about what he had learned in the confessional. The case involved the killing of a Jewish woman by a Catholic man. The league’s first [...]
“The Catholic League signed a statement written by Brent Bozell III, and signed by dozens of individuals and organizations, taking ABC to task for airing the April 30 edition of Ellen. This particular show, which was promoted by ABC for months, featured actress Ellen DeGeneres “coming out.” In real life, the actress is a lesbian. To [...]
