Jump to content

Catholic League (U.S.)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Spotfixer (talk | contribs) at 21:12, 14 February 2009 (No such link and no such excuse.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
AbbreviationCL
Formation1973
TypeNGO
Legal statusNon-profit
PurposeRoman Catholic advocacy
HeadquartersNew York City, New York
Location
Region served
United States
Membership
233,333 paid members (1999)[1]
Official language
English
LeaderBill Donohue,
President and CEO
Bernadette Brady, Vice-President
Budget
USD $2.69 million
(fiscal year 2005)
8 million in reserve[2]
Staff
4[2]
Websitewww.CatholicLeague.org

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to The Catholic League, is an American anti-defamation and advocacy organization with the stated mission of defending "the right of Catholics...to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination."[3] The Catholic League is known for press release statements about what they view as anti-Catholic and anti-Christian themes in mass media, through its main public face, League president William A. Donohue. Noted for vocal opposition to movies such as The Last Temptation of Christ, Priest, and Dogma,[4] as well as TV entertainment such as South Park, The View, and highly visible people like Rosie O'Donnell[5] and events like the Folsom Street Fair[6] Donohue regularly makes talk show appearances discussing the subjects. Henry Herx, director of the USCCB's Office of Film and Broadcast (successor to the Legion of Decency) emphasized that the Catholic League is not an official agency of the church.[7] People for the American Way lists the League among "Right Wing Organizations" [2]

Organizational overview

History

The League was founded in Milwaukee in 1973 by Jesuit Father Virgil C. Blum.[8] [3] Its board of advisors includes L. Brent Bozell III, Linda Chavez, Dinesh D'Souza, Mary Ann Glendon, Alan Keyes, Thomas Monaghan, Michael Novak and George Weigel.

William A. Donohue

Main article: William A. Donohue

Since 1993 the League has been led by its Board of Directors president, William A. Donohue, who works with a small number of organizational staffers including Kiera McCaffrey, the League's Director of Communications, who has made media appearances for the group as recently as May 2006.[9] In a 1999 New York Times article a reporter noted Donohue is pragmatic in regards to religion, "media savvy" and "steers clear of divisive debates on theological doctrines and secular politics".[10] Adding that Donohue "fans simmering anger with inflammatory news releases, a Web site and newsletter"[11] with "scathing attacks on the blasphemous and the irreverent".[10] In a 2007 interview, Salon Life staff writer Rebecca Traister discussed Donohue with Frances Kissling, former head of Catholics for a Free Choice, who characterized Donohue as "abusive", and stated she avoided doing media interviews with him for this reason.[12] Kissling also stated "[Donohue] has made it his business to protest every bit of pop culture and politics that doesn't mesh perfectly with his strict views on Catholic doctrine" and added that many have noted that he is a "total media hound".[13] Donohue counters the criticisms against him by pointing out that less confrontational styles of previous League presidents also translated into less productivity and he wants to see an immediate impact from the work he does for the League.

In an interview on "Hardball" on MSNBC, League president William A. Donohue repeatedly told another American citizen that he had to be quiet when he (Donohue) spoke, based purely on their respective races, and when his opponent refused to capitulate Donohue invited him to "take it outside". [14]

Operations and organization

The League issues a journal, Catalyst, as well as reports, such as Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust, books, brochures and an annual Report on Anti-Catholicism. An array of prominent lay Catholics are listed as members of the Catholic League's Board of Advisors, including L. Brent Bozell III, Linda Chavez, Dinesh D'Souza, Alan Keyes, Mary Ann Glendon and George Weigel.[15]

Association with the Catholic Church

The League is not part of the Archdiocese of New York,[16] though it does rent an office on the same floor as the headquarters of the Archdiocese of New York, and Cardinal O'Connor "vacated part of his suite for its expanding operations".[17] Dr. Patrick Whelan, president of the Catholic Democrats, points out that "Bill Donohue's perpetual bullying serves to remind us that he has no official capacity in the Catholic Church."[3] According to a New York Times interviewer, the organization "maintains close ties to the leadership. Several bishops make personal donations. Cardinal O'Connor spoke at the group's 25th anniversary reception in 1998 and vacated part of his suite for its expanding operations, said Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York."....[16] The League includes on its website quotations from such prominent clerics as the more conservative Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, as well as the liberal Roger Cardinal Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, and Most Rev. Edwin O'Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore/Archbishop for the Military Services, as well as Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., endorsing the League's activities and exhorting Catholics to become members.[15]

Membership

The New York Times reported that the group had 11,000 total members when Donohue took over the Catholic League in 1993. This grew to 233,333 paid members in 1999, a figure which the League multiplies by 1.5 to account for non-paying members in the households of paying members, resulting in a League estimate of 350,000 members.[1] This 1999 estimate is the last statement about overall membership numbers that the League has made. The League's 2003 statement about membership claimed 15,000 members just in Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York.[18] Annual donations entitle members to home delivery of the print version of Catalyst, the group's monthly journal, which is also available for free on the Catholic League's website.

Political alignment

The Catholic League claims political neutrality which is mostly required of non-profits. The website states, "The league wishes to be neither left nor right, liberal or conservative, revolutionary or reactionary."[15] The league has at least occasionally been at odds with conservative figures and organizations. For example, they criticized the anti-illegal-immigrant group, the Minutemen, for opposing a San Diego priest's facilitation of employment for Latino immigrants and for condemning the Church as a whole in public statements about the matter. [19] The Catholic League also condemned pastor and televangelist John Hagee for anti-Catholic hate speech and called upon the McCain presidential campaign to renounce this bigotry.[20]

Activities

Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust

See also: Pope Pius XII § The Holocaust

The Catholic League sells Pius XII and the Holocaust: A Reader, a work which defends Pope Pius XII against accusations of indifference during the Holocaust. The book's contents are also available for free at the League's website.[21]

The War on Christmas

Main article: Christmas controversy

The League marshalled e-mail, op-ed and letter-writing campaigns against stores and firms which use the term holiday instead of Christmas. In 2005, Donohue said that Wal-Mart was “practicing discrimination” and “insulting Christians by effectively banning Christmas.”[22]

Supreme Court Nominations

According to People for the American Way, The League was involved in the campaign to confirm both John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court[22]

Goya's Ghosts

A 2007 Catholic League review of the film Goya's Ghosts, a movie dealing specifically with the Roman Catholic Church's Inquisition of heretics decried the film for portraying "cruel and vengeful" priests who are "hungry for blood". The Catholic League granted that the "general subject of the Inquisition itself is not a problem" and that "certainly grave sins were committed by leaders of the Church during that time, and this is not something that should be forgotten by Catholics or anyone else." What the Catholic League objected to was that "the viewer is not provided with one redeeming member of the clergy."[23]

Criticism

Donohue and the Catholic League have been criticized by other Catholics, who have accused them of being overly sensitive in the identification of anti-Catholicism.[24] Jesuit priest James Martin, the associate editor of the Catholic magazine America says "Often their criticism is right on target, but frequently [The Catholic League] speak[s] without seeing or experiencing what they are critiquing, and that undercuts their credibility. Unfortunately, that type of response gives people the idea that the Catholic Church is unreflective. ”[25]

At a 2005 event entitled “Justice Sunday”, advertised as “a rally to portray Democrats as being against people of faith”, Donohue shared the stage with Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler.[26]

The Catholic League's monthly newsletter, Catalyst, publishes a "Hatemail" section, which includes letters from Catholics who claim they decided to leave the Church after seeing Donohue on television.[27]

In 2008, the Catholic League sent a press release condemning Biologist PZ Myers who publicly expressed support on his Pharyngula (blog) for University of Central Florida Student Senator Webster Cook who received a Catholic Eucharist host who refused to eat it and took it home then received threats.[28][29][30] Myers described the level of harassment leveled against the student, which included multiple death threats, and the accusations which included hate crime, kidnapping, and intent to desecrate the wafer, which Catholics consider a mortal sin.[28][31] Myers expressed outrage that Fox News appeared to be inciting readers to cause further problems for the student, and ridiculed reports that armed guards would attend the next mass. Myers suggested, as a fitting response, that if any of his readers could acquire some consecrated Eucharistic hosts for him, he would treat the wafers "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."[32] Donohue's Catholic League accused Myers of anti-catholic bigotry,[33] described his proposal as a threat to desecrate what Catholics hold to be the Body of Christ, and sent a letter asking the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Legislature to take action against Myers.[34][33]. Myers then started receiving several death threats and a lot of hate mail over the controversy.[35] As a result, the Center for Inquiry sent a letter to the Catholic League "We believe in mutual tolerance of beliefs as we all seek the truth. Violence is never appropriate over what is essentially an academic-theological question; such questions must be subject to calm, reasoned discourse."[36] And further wrote, "We strongly encourage you to do the right thing and condemn the threats of violence."[36]

File:South Park Catholic League.jpg
South Park adult cartoon portrays the League as overly zealous and has a scene where Donohue has both Jesus and the Pope arrested for ostensibly going against the Church.[37][38]

The 2007 South Park episode "Fantastic Easter Special" repeatedly criticizes the League as overly zealous, portraying Donohue personally as attempting to take control from Pope Benedict XVI. Donohue orders Jesus killed for defying the Church, and, upon Benedict's insistence that "I'm pretty sure killing Jesus is not very Christian", has Benedict imprisoned for being "soft and weak".[37] After the South Park "Cartoon Wars" episode aired, Donohue had called South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker "little whores" for not resigning over the Comedy Central's censorship of Muhammad, while still making money by mocking Jesus.[38] In the "Fantastic Easter Special" episode, Donohue calls Stan and Kyle "whores."

See also

References

  1. ^ a b “An Outspoken Church Defender,”New York Times, 2 November 1999
  2. ^ a b "2005 Form 990 from the IRS". Guidestar. 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
  3. ^ a b "About Us" page on the Catholic League's website
  4. ^ Penhollow, Steve Director Kevin Smith calls himself a devout Catholic and says his latest comedy, Dogma, is "pro-faith, pro-Catholic, spiritually uplifting.", The Journal Gazette
  5. ^ "barbara walters — House Mom to Bigots". Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Retrieved 2007-08-22. (from internet archive)
  6. ^ "Catholic Group Urges Boycott of Miller Brewing Co. Over San Francisco Fair Sponsorship". Fox News. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  7. ^ [1] Despite boycott, 'Sacred' draws Catholic applause - ABC-TV series 'Nothing Sacred' National Catholic Reporter, Oct 10, 1997 by John Allen
  8. ^ Rev. Virgil Blum, 76; Founded Rights Group - New York Times
  9. ^ Showbiz Tonight Transcript of CNN's Showbiz Tonight episode, aired 8 May 2006
  10. ^ a b Hu, Winnie (1999-11-02). "An Outspoken Church Defender". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-29."Mr. Donohue, 52, a former sociology professor who lives in Mineola, N.Y., took over the 11,000-member Catholic League in 1993 and reinvigorated it with his personal blend of religious pragmatism and media savvy. Although he supports the church's teachings on life-and-death issues like abortion and the death penalty, he steers clear of divisive debates on theological doctrines and secular politics."
  11. ^ Hu, Winnie (1999-11-02). "An Outspoken Church Defender". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-29. "Mr. Donohue fans this simmering anger with inflammatory news releases, a Web site and newsletter, The Catalyst, that condemn everything from Miramax movies to tasteless jokes about nuns. Every other month, he requests donations for a large ad or some other project. He writes personal notes to those who give more than $250."
  12. ^ Traister, Rebecca (2007-02-13). "Bill Donohue vs. The World (Especially Women): Frances Kissling, head of Catholics for a Free Choice, talks about the right-wing activist who forced the John Edwards campaign to part with one of its bloggers". Salon.com. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  13. ^ Traister, Rebecca (2007-02-13). "Bill Donohue vs. The World (Especially Women): Frances Kissling, head of Catholics for a Free Choice, talks about the right-wing activist who forced the John Edwards campaign to part with one of its bloggers". Salon.com. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMVVJrWYMzo
  15. ^ a b c ”About Us” page on the Catholic League's website
  16. ^ a b An Outspoken Church Defender - New York Times
  17. ^ “An Outspoken Church Defender”, New York Times, 2 November 1999
  18. ^ “The Battle is Joined Over Bishop Murphy” New York Times, 3 August 2003
  19. ^ "San Diego Minutemen Gin Up Catholic Bashing" Catholic League website, 10 July 2007
  20. ^ Catholic League: McCain's Next Move
  21. ^ "Pius XII and the Holocaust, A Reader" at the Catholic League's website
  22. ^ a b People For the American Way - Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
  23. ^ "Film Set In Inquisition Goes Too Far"The Catalyst, September 2007
  24. ^ , "Donohue's crusade: tilting at the wrong windmill - Catholic League for Religious and Civil Liberties head William A. Donohue" column by David R. Carlin, Jr., Commonweal, May 23, 1997
  25. ^ “An Outspoken Church Defender New York Times,, 2 November 1999
  26. ^ “Justice Sunday Preachers” The Nation online, 26 April 2005
  27. ^ "Hatemail" Catalyst December 2004
  28. ^ a b "'Body Of Christ' Snatched From Church, Held Hostage By UCF Student". WFTV. 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  29. ^ "'Body Of Christ" Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats". WFTV. 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  30. ^ "Radio interview with "Webster Cook, student senator and non-eater of communion wafers"" (online radio). podcast. Freethought Radio. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-28. Tune in to hear the inside story about the young Orlando student whom Catholics have accused of committing a 'hate crime' for not eating a communion wafer! {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); External link in |work= (help)
  31. ^ "Student Who Took Religious Icon Getting Death Threats". MY Fox Orlando. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  32. ^ "IT'S A FRACKIN' CRACKER!". Pharyngula. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  33. ^ a b "Communion wafer held 'hostage' raises holy heck". 2008-07-11. Retrieved 2008-07-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ "Minnesota Prof Pledges to Desecrate Eucharist". The Catholic League. 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-07-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  35. ^ PZ Myers (2008-07-13). "Mail Dump". Pharyngula. Scienceblogs. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  36. ^ a b PZ Myers (August 2, 2008). "CFI speaks out". Pharyngula. Scienceblogs. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  37. ^ a b The Raw Story | Catholic group fires back at leader's depiction in South Park parody
  38. ^ a b ‘South Park’ takes on own network over ban, MSNBC.com, April 18, 2006
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catholic_League_(U.S.)&oldid=270735828"