When some crazy evangelist slapped and kicked a statue of the Virgin Mary on Brazilian TV, it wasn’t just Catholics who were outraged—the authorities were also. Preacher Sergio Van Helder was sentenced to two years in prison for showing disrespect for a religious symbol. Imagine how the ACLU would react if we imported this splendid idea [...]
Two issues ago we mentioned that Louis Farrakhan sought a meeting with Cardinal Bevilacqua and that His Eminence refused to meet with him. This is not accurate. What actually happened is that the Mayor of Philadelphia, Edward Rendell, supported a prayer meeting between Farrakhan and leaders of all faiths. Cardinal Bevilacqua, as well as Jewish leaders, [...]
Editor’s Note: This victory over Sony is emblematic of two important characteristics of the Catholic League: a) it shows what can be done "behind the scenes" and b) it is a tribute to our members. While much of what the league does is high profile in nature (our protest against "Nothing Sacred" is an example), we sometimes [...]
Susan Powter is mostly known for her bald head and her exercise techniques. But lately this jumping-jack queen has shown another side to her, and it is a side that has caught the attention of the Catholic League: she’s an anti-Catholic bigot. On Powter’s radio program, which is syndicated in many parts of the country, she [...]
The president of the Catholic League’s San Diego chapter, Carl Horst, moved in August to mobilize tens of thousands of area Catholics to lash out at the Catholic-bashing radio spot, "Lash Wednesday." The offensive segment is part of the "Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw" program, a show that previously earned the ire of Horst when it was [...]
In July, Vatican Ambassador, Raymond Flynn, wrote to President Clinton and Vice President Gore asking them to be more aggressive in combating anti-Christian persecution around the world. He reminded President Clinton that in 1994 he recommended that there be an Assistant Secretary for Religious Affairs, but that his appeals "have fallen on deaf ears because religious [...]
The sixth season premiere of MTV’s "The Real World" opened July 16 with an attack on Catholicism. The show featured a group of strangers from various backgrounds who come to work and live together. Two of the seven characters were identified as Catholics; curiously, we learned nothing of the religious affiliation of the other five. What [...]
The Weekend Edition of National Public Radio (NPR) for July 5 aired a segment with host Scott Simon and musical satirist, Tom Lehrer, that was as insulting as it was unwarranted. Lehrer sang "The Vatican Rag," a song that disparages Catholicism by ridiculing the Eucharist ("Try playing it safer, Drink the wine and chew the wafer") [...]
In June, Michael Kain, the Grand Knight-Elect of the Glenmary Knights of Columbus in Cincinnati, was driving home late at night listening to WSAI, Cincinnati’s "Original Hits Station." He was startled to hear a lengthy attack on the Catholic Church being conducted by a preacher, Brother Stair. Kain wrote the station manager and also contacted the [...]
WWDB, an FM station in the Philadelphia area, recently made some jokes that we found offensive. Art Delaney, the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey chapter president, let host Susan Bray know that Catholics do not take kindly to any jokes aimed at Our Blessed Mother. We are delighted to report that Bray apologized for her wrongdoing.
