Catholic League (U.S.)
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The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is a Roman Catholic civil rights organization in the United States, with the mission of defending the civil and religious rights of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination. Founded in 1973 by Jesuit Father Virgil C. Blum SJ, it is a lay organization funded by individual donations and is not under the direct control of the Church. The Catholic League is headquartered in New York. Its efforts are coordinated by a Board of Directors under its president, William A. Donohue.
The Catholic League focuses on highlighting defamation or discrimination rooted in anti-Catholic attitudes. To accomplish this the organization issues press releases to the print, television, radio and internet media, contacts individuals or leaders whom it believes are responsible for anti-Catholicism, organizes boycotts of unapologetic groups which it believes are responsible for anti-Catholicism, and holds press conferences to discuss incidents that it has identified as anti-Catholicism. However, critics of the Catholic League have accused the organization and Donohue of being "semiparanoid" and overly sensitive in the identification of anti-Catholicism.[1] 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. The Catholic League is noted for vocal opposition to movies such as The Last Temptation of Christ, Priest, and Dogma, as well as TV entertainment such as South Park[2] and The View.[3]
The Catholic League is registered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. In 2005, according to IRS 990 forms on file at Guidestar.com, the Catholic League took in approximately $2.69M USD in contributions. Its president, William A. Donohue, was paid $334,143 USD in salary and benefits. The Catholic League claims to be neutral politically;[4] however, critics of the organization have found its actions to favor the Republican party over the Democratic party.[5]
The Catholic League's positions on faith, morality, charity, abortion, immigration, and marriage reflect official teachings of the Catholic Church. However, the organization and Donohue have been accused of going against Church teaching on the Iraq war and capital punishment.[6] [7]
Board of Advisors
An array of prominent lay Catholics serve on the Catholic League's Board of Advisors: Bernadette Brady (Vice-President), L. Brent Bozell III, Gerard Bradley, Linda Chavez, Robert Destro, Dinesh D'Souza, Laura Garcia, Robert George, Mary Ann Glendon, Dolores Grier, Alan Keyes, Judie Brown, Stephen Krason, Tom Monaghan, Michael Novak, Kate O'Beirne, Thomas Reeves, Patrick Riley, Robert Royal, Russell Shaw, Bill Simon, Paul Vitz and George Weigel.
Non-Catholics such as William Dannemeyer and Ezola Foster also reportedly contribute to the Board's efforts, but may not be full members [citation needed].
Footnotes
- ^ 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. [1]
- ^ http://www.catholicleague.org/05press_releases/quarter%204/051230_Southpark_pulled.htm
- ^ http://www.catholicleague.org/catalyst/2006_catalyst/1206_print_pages/view.htm
- ^ "The league wishes to be neither left nor right, liberal or conservative, revolutionary or reactionary." [2]
- ^ http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/09/donohue-bush/
- ^ Bill Donohue: A 'Cafeteria Catholic' Promotes Extremism, post by R. J. Eskow, The Huffington Post, February 8, 2007. [3]
- ^ http://mediamatters.org/items/200410220001
External links
- Catholic League
- GuideStar.org Clearinghouse for information on nonprofit organizations, including the Catholic League.
- Pro-choice Messages on Indybay.org Anger Catholic League