THU,
MAY 31, 2001 — Catholics United for
the Faith has issued a position paper on elected officials who support
abortion.
The paper points out, "despite their apparent
knowledge of the Church's teaching on abortion and the frequent
admonitions of the U.S. bishops, there are Catholic lawmakers who
believe they can systematically block attempts to protect human life on
Friday and worthily receive Holy Communion on Sunday. This
duplicity has the ostensible blessing of the Church to the extent this
situation is permitted to continue unabated." The document
cites the need for punishment as described in Canon 1371 and affirmed by
Pope John Paul II in Ad Tuendam Fidem (To Defend the Faith).
(Reference: "Position Paper of Catholics United for the Faith on
Addressing the Problem of Catholic Politicians Who Publicly Advocate
Abortion Rights," Lay Witness, April 2001.)
WED, MAY
30, 2001 —
The Catholic Alliance has requested that Seton Hall
rescind its honorary degree awarded to abortion advocate Dolores Cross,
the head of Morris Brown College, who was among 42 members of the
National Commission on America Without Roe, which was organized in 1992
by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL).
“We would strongly oppose the conferring of an honorary degree to a
person who advocated racial profiling, was a member of the Ku Klux Klan
or who was an anti-Semite,” said Raymond Flynn, president of
Catholic Alliance and former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
Cross replied that the Alliance’s request, made Tuesday, would “violate
the spirit of the Constitution. At issue are the constitutional freedoms
of speech and association. Attempts to associate my conduct with groups
who act out of hatred is an affront to my character and integrity.”
Seton Hall University does not knowingly confer honorary degrees on
candidates who publicly oppose Catholic Church teaching, said spokesman
Susan Diamond.
“Prior to awarding an honorary degree to (Cross), she assured the
university that she had never spoken publicly on any issue contrary to
the church's teachings. Charity and justice demand that we take her at
her word,” Diamond said in a statement.
Cross was awarded an honorary doctorate at Seton Hall’s
commencement on May 7 “for her extraordinary dedication and commitment
to improving education for under-served students,” Seton Hall said.
MON, MAY 28, 2001 —
(CWNews.com) The Vatican is preparing to make a
formal announcement of the excommunication of a renegade archbishop
who took part in a group marriage ceremony organized by the Unification
Church in New York
Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, an eccentric African prelate who had been
retired from pastoral duties for nearly 20 years because of his erratic
behavior, was wedded to a 43-year-old Korean woman, whom he had never
before met, during a "collective marriage" ceremony under the
auspices of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Milingo, who is 71, incurred the
penalty of excommunication by participating in the ritual. Catholic
World News story and African bishops' response.
Pro-lifers stood at the gates of
Boston College Law School Friday, May 25, displaying pictures of the aborted Baby
Malachi -- specially captioned for the occasion, "Marshall's
Apartheid" -- commemorating the disgrace of SJC Chief Justice Margaret
Marshall (former abortion mill trustee) giving the commencement address.
MON,
MAY 14, 2001 —
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver last week ordered that an
archdiocesan agency revoke its invitation to US Rep. Diana DeGette to
speak at an awards dinner Sunday night because of her pro-abortion views. CWNews
article.
SAT, MAY
5, 2001 — Seton
Hall University: abortion advocate to receive an honorary degree. [Source:
Father Peter West of Priests for Life via Pro-Life Infonet.]
On Monday May 7, 2001 Dolores Cross will receive an honorary degree from
Seton Hall University when it holds it's Commencement Exercises at
Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey at 11:00 A.M.
Dolores Cross served on the National Abortion Rights Action League's
"National Commission of America Without Roe'".
MAY 4, 2001 —
Doctor
protests Clinton at Catholic fundraiser: "On May 2, over
the objections of many concerned Catholics in this community, Bill Clinton
will speak to an audience of a thousand $200-a-plate guests at a benefit
for the Morgan Firestone Foundation, part of St. Joseph's Health
Care." Update on previous story: click
for article.
APR
11, 2001 — The
Church in Spain is studying the possibility of excommunicating
ETA terrorists, according to a ZENIT story this past weekend.
The problem might be addressed April 24,
when diocesan, auxiliary and emeritus bishops, who will be
attending a plenary assembly, El Mundo reported. Cardinal Antonio
María Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, reportedly is among those
promoting the plan.
Bishops will also debate the publication of
a book, which gathers Spanish prelates’ speeches on terrorism over the
past half-century. The book’s publication is in response to a recent
press campaign accusing the Church of lack of clarity in the face of ETA
violence.
"I have no doubt about the legitimacy
of applying excommunication in light of canons
1397 and 1399, as terrorist activity is a very grave crime against
life and liberty," said military Archbishop José Manuel Estepa said,
who is known for his severe statements against ETA. "And, insofar as
possible, there is also a need to repair the scandal caused by the mere
belief that not a few of the perpetrators belong to the ecclesial
community or come from it."
Canonist JoséMaría Díaz Moreno of
Comillas and Salamanca said, "Unfortunately, the dissuading effect of
excommunication on the terrorists will be virtually nil. However, I
understand that, in addition to attempting to avoid the crime, the laws
have a pedagogic and exemplary purpose—in our case, to make the
Church’s judgment on the extreme gravity of terrorism even more
explicit."
[It is obvious that the above rationale
is even more compelling in the parallel case of abortion and the
excommunication of abortion advocates. - editor's note.]
Since 1968, the ETA separatist group has
been responsible for 800 deaths — compare this with the millions killed by
abortionists, through the collaboration of "Catholic"
politicians and judges.
APR
5, 2001 — Father Peter
West, of Priests for Life was ejected from a Newark, NJ Catholic
school where a gathering was being held for a pro-abortion politician. First-hand
account.
MAR
22, 2001 — (CWNews.com) President George W. Bush called
Pope John Paul II "truly one of the great men" as he hosted a
gathering of Catholic leaders at the White House on Wednesday (3-21-01).
Bush met with the bishops the day before he was to help dedicate the Pope
John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, a $65 million institution
dedicated to chronicling the Holy Father's life and work and to advance
the study of his teachings.
"The best way to honor Pope John Paul II, truly one of the great men,
is to take his teaching seriously, is to listen to his words, and to put
his words and teachings into action here in America," Bush told the
bishop gathered in the White House East Room. "This is a challenge we
must accept."
Guests at the reception included Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit;
Cardinal Edmund Szoka, papal delegate to the cultural center; Cardinal
Franciszek Macharski of Krakow, Poland; Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston;
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington; and Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo,
papal nuncio to the United States.
Other reception guests included Senator Ted Kennedy and Caroline
Kennedy Schlossberg (sp?), both of whom were among the few who did not
applaud when President Bush mentioned the "culture of life."
MAR
15, 2001 — The Wanderer (March 15,
2001): "At a dinner with 325
attendees paying $125 a piece to hear a pro-abort speaker, 1000 pro-life
protesters showed up for the peaceful prayer rally outside in the rain,
lining the roadway into the Casino with hand signs and quiet prayer.
Television crews from throughout central Pennsylvania covered the
peaceful event, and attendance outstripped the organizers' wildest
expectations." An encouraging report on Catholic activism in the
face of scandal and their productive opposition to Pennsylvania's Catholic
Governor Tom Ridge. Full article.
FEB 25, 2001 — Canada's Bishop Fred
Henry denounces scandalous position of two pro-abortion
"Catholic" politicians in an article
in the Calgary Sun newspaper: "Seeking to imply adherence to church teaching but inability or
unwillingness to allow their personal moral convictions to influence
their behaviours, they have repeatedly resorted to: 'I'm opposed to
abortion but I cannot force my morality on others.' Such statements
are inherently problematic.
"It's like saying, 'I'm opposed to child abuse but I cannot force my
morality on others.' That's utter nonsense!"
FEB 15, 2001 —
Clinton okayed for Catholic fundraiser! HAMILTON, Ontario (CWNews.com/LSN.ca)
- The scandal of the pro-abortion former US President Bill Clinton being
invited to speak at a Catholic hospital fundraiser was arranged by a
foundation that regularly assists the hospital, it was revealed this
week.
However, Craig Dowhaniuk, spokesman for
the Morgan Firestone Foundation, said that before the foundation booked
Clinton as speaker they "approached the hospital and the nuns for
their blessing," realizing there could be controversy around the
selection, and "since they didn’t want to cause any
embarrassment." Dowhaniuk said that all 1,000 of the $200 tickets
for the fundraiser had sold out on the first day. The foundation is
picking up the tab for Clinton’s speech with proceeds from the dinner
going to the Hamilton Firestone Chest and Allergy Unit of Hamilton,
Ontario’s St. Joseph’s Hospital. Dowhaniuk vividly recalled the 1991
Catholic protest over the scheduling of then-New York Governor Mario
Cuomo. "When the Bishop of Hamilton encouraged Catholics not to
attend we lost 200 attendees," said Dowhaniuk. With this Catholic
protest in mind, the Sisters of St. Joseph in Hamilton who run the St.
Joseph’s Health Care System were consulted prior to the booking of
Clinton — the nuns okayed the event.