For the first time in over four decades, Catholicism has emerged as a factor in a presidential campaign. In 1960, Massachusetts Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy had to overcome Protestant critics who objected to having any Catholic in the White House. Now another Roman Catholic JFK from Massachusetts is the source of controversy, namely John Forbes Kerry. [...]
On March 24, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Pledge of Allegiance case. The Catholic League, together with the Thomas More Law Center, filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the Elk Grove Unified School District that seeks to uphold the recitation of the Pledge in the schools. Challenging the school district [...]
William A. Donohue The Catholic Church rightfully emphasizes that all human beings share an inherent dignity. It matters not a whit what a person's race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or age is—all are equal before God. Because we do not choose any of these attributes, they are of no moral consequence. It's only when [...]
by Ronald J. Rychlak During World War II and for years after it ended, Pope Pius XII was heralded as a staunch opponent of the Nazis and a champion of their victims. Then in 1963, as the result of a piece of fiction written by German playwright Rolf Hochhuth, a controversy arose about whether the Pope [...]
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" continues to be the source of controversy. Attempts by three Jewish brothers in France to ban the film did not succeed in court, but this did not stop the Benlolo brothers—Patrick, Gerard and Jean-Marc—from appealing the decision. The movie was censored in Israel; it was the only nation in [...]
The Comedy Central network aired an episode of the cartoon "South Park" dealing with "The Passion of the Christ" on March 31, titled "The Passion of the Jew." Both Jews and Christians were objects of the show's crude satire, though the former may find the material more objectionable than the latter. One character, Eric Cartman, a [...]
On April 8, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unveiled its new website. Gone from the site is the links page which directed users to various allied organizations. Among them was an anti-Catholic group, Catholics for a Free Choice. For the past two years, the Catholic League has been pressing the DNC to drop its link to [...]
On Palm Sunday, Senator John Kerry attended services at Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston's Roxbury district. Inexplicably, he took communion at the Protestant church. Just as disconcerting was what Rev. Gregory G. Groover said from the pulpit. He introduced Kerry as "the next president of the United States." We pointed out to the [...]
Now that the presidential season is in full swing, we thought it wise for both the Republicans and the Democrats to consider our proposal: make churches "campaign-free zones." Here is the text of our remarks: "For many years now, Republican and Democratic candidates for public office have exploited houses of worship for political capital. Time and [...]
As reported in the April 6 edition of the New York Times, Senator John Kerry got defiant when told the day before that some are unhappy with the way his voting record departs from Church teachings. Kerry wanted to know who they are, challenging reporters to "name them." The Massachusetts senator also said, "My oath privately between [...]
