CATHOLIC LEAGUE’S
SILVER ANNIVERSARY
(1973-1998)
Twenty-five years ago this month, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights was founded by Father Virgil Blum, S.J. Established to defend individual Catholics and the institutional Church against defamation and discrimination, the league has surged in membership in recent years to 350,000, with no end in sight. We are funded strictly by private donations.
There are many battlegrounds for the Catholic League:
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Activist organizations with an animus towards the Church’s teachings often engage in bigoted assaults
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Some of the most vulgar attacks have come from the artistic community
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The corporate world has not been immune from making anti-Catholic statements; similarly, there are problems in the workplace
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Intolerance for Catholicism is evident in education, and this is especially true of higher education
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Agents of government have crossed church and state lines in a manner that is highly offensive to Catholics
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There is an element in the media that bears a special hostility to the Catholic Church
The Catholic League seeks an equal playing field. We do not challenge criticism of the Church, but we are outraged by the disdain, disparagement and insult that too frequently accompanies discourse on matters Catholic. That is why we want an end to Catholic bashing.
In 25 years the Catholic League has achieved great success. It is our hope that we have less to do in the next quarter century.
William A. Donohue
President
