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POPE CALLS ON BISHOPS TO PUBLICLY REPRIMAND DISSENTERS FROM CHURCH'S MORAL TEACHING

Strongly Implies Dissent is at the Root of the Scandals and Must be Bishops' First Priority

ROME, April 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - At the conclusion of the meeting between Pope John Paul II and the Cardinals of the United States Wednesday, the pope called on the "Pastors of the Church" to "publicly...reprimand individuals who spread dissent." At the meeting discussing the sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy the pope noted that "doctrinal issues" underlie "the deplorable behavior in question" and proposed three "lines of response." This may be an especially difficult task for some of the bishops and cardinals since in the U.S., and even more so in neighbouring Canada, where dissent or toleration of dissent on moral issues is deeply ingrained in many church leaders and institutions. Many have been waiting for years for John Paul II to die so that hopefully a weaker pope would legitimize their long-term disobedience.

Number one on the pope's list of suggested changes was "the Pastors of the Church need clearly to promote the correct moral teaching of the Church and publicly to reprimand individuals who spread dissent and groups which advance ambiguous approaches to pastoral care."

The other two measures were specific to the formation of clergy. One required bishops to visit seminaries to assure fidelity to the Church's moral teachings and study the "criteria of suitability of candidates to the priesthood." The third suggested the Bishops ask the faithful to join in a national day of prayer and penance "in reparation for the offenses perpetrated and in prayer to God for the conversion of sinners and the reconciliation of victims."

In response, the US Cardinals issued six proposals to address the scandals. While the proposals addressed the latter two lines of response suggested by the pope, the first and most important so far appears to have been left unaddressed. Catholic commentators have noted that the problem is not merely confined to the clergy. Vast numbers of Catholics ignore the Church's moral teachings on illicit sexual relations including homosexuality, pedophilia, sex outside marriage, masturbation, promiscuity, adultery, contraception and even abortion.

The pope's first line of action is the most important in that it strikes at the root of the problem. Public and high profile Catholic dissenters have been able to act with impunity without reprimand by church authorities, leading to the false belief that the church does not really consider such dissent a serious matter. Hence sexual activity of various kinds by priests, nuns and other Catholic institutional workers and the spreading of dissenting teaching justifying their actions became inevitable. While work in the seminaries is needed, formation of good men for the priesthood begins not in the seminary but in the home. Still Catholic families are also positively or negatively affected by the faithful or rebellious example of their bishops, priests, religious and Catholic teachers. The same would of course also apply to families of other religious denominations and the examples of their religious leaders and instructors.

See the Vatican's documentation on the Cardinal's meeting with the pope: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/cardinals/documents/rc_cardinals_20020424_fina...

The Cardinals' response to the Pope's directions at the meeting are receiving very mixed reactions. Many Catholics and others are critical that the Cardinals' response has so far been inadequate and that they still don't appear to understand the severity of their neglect.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN ROME? -analysis of the Cardinals meeting by Catholic World News
http://cwnews.com/promo/promopage.cfm

FALLWELL BLASTS CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR NOT DEFROCKING ABUSIVE PRIESTS
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2002/4/25/170139

RESTORING THE CHURCH'S FOUNDATION - NATIONAL POST
See National Post - April 26, 2002. Story not online.

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CTV REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR ATTACK ON CATHOLIC CLERGY

TORONTO, April 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - CTV television, one of Canada's largest broadcasting companies, has refused to apologize for an attack against Catholic clergy on its Mike Bullard show. Following the program's airing April 24, the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) wrote the President of CTV's parent company Bell Globemedia (which also owns The Globe and Mail) to demand an apology. Ed Robinson, Senior VP of Comedy and Variety Programming at CTV responded to the CCRL saying "sorry you were offended" and going on to defend the defamation of priests saying it was not intended to be taken seriously but as part of a comedic presentation.

CCRL President Thomas Langan has written a letter of complaint to the Canadian broadcast regulators (CRTC). In his letter, Langan referred to the show which reinforced a stereotype of priests as child molesters, "an abusively discriminatory action on the part of the show that was conceived in malice to denigrate and reinforce an abusively discriminatory and negative stereotype."

"If it were a depiction of other visible religious groups, such as a Jewish Rabbi or a Muslim Imam, it would immediately be held up for scorn by other broadcasters and media," wrote Langan. "Why should all clergy suffer and have to be ridiculed and similarly shamed for the actions of a tiny minority, a minority scientifically proven to be no greater than any other faith group or even society at large," continued Langan. Stressing the seriousness of the offense Langan said, "An example of disparagement by the media like this we have never witnessed." The League also filed a complaint with a detective with the Metropolitan Toronto Hate Crimes squad.

CCRL has asked its supporters to contact the CRTC or CTV at the contact numbers below to make it clear that the Bullard show has done more than offend Catholics, it has crossed the line between humour and ridicule and in so doing has unjustly maligned Catholic priests.

See related LifeSite coverage:
CATHOLIC BASHING ON CTV NETWORK'S MIKE BULLARD SHOW
http://www.lsn.ca/ldn/2002/apr/02042501.html

Individuals to contact

CRTC Secretary General
Ursula Menke t. 819 997-1027

Executive Assistant
Rachel Charron t. 819 997-1027

Mail:
Ursula Menke
Secretary-General,
CRTC, Ottawa, ON
K1A 0N2
FAX (819) 994-0218


Ivan Fecan
CEO, Acting and President
CTV
9 Channel Nine Ct.
Toronto, Ontario M1S 4B5, Canada
Phone: 416-332-5000
Fax: 416-332-5022

Tom Curzon
Vice-President,
Corporate Communications
(416) 332-5281


CTV public/media relations
Mike Cosentino, CTV at (416) 332-5048, or


Anne-Marie La Pointe, CTV at (416) 332-5302 or

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GERMAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES EMBRYONIC STEM CELL IMPORTS

BERLIN, April 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Yesterday the German parliament gave final approval to a law allowing imports of human embryo stem cells for research. The vote was 369 to 190 with nine abstentions.

While existing German law forbids the use of human embryonic stem cells coming from Germany it did not explicitly forbid imports. The imports will only be allowed for embryonic stem cells produced before Jan. 1, 2002 so as to curb incentives for researchers to manufacture more stem cells.

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LEADING UK SCIENTIST PROMOTES A POSITIVE LOOK AT 'EUGENICS'

LONDON, April 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Richard Lynn, Emeritus professor of Psychology at the University of Ulster, has written a book suggesting that modern reproductive technology calls for society to re-think its condemnation of eugenics. "The general principle of eugenics, that we could improve the genetic quality of the population, needs taking seriously," says Lynn.

"The new medical technology of eugenics is going to take off, because it satisfies the needs of individuals, both for themselves and as parents. Parents would like to have children who are free of genetic diseases, and potentially in the future they will want to have children who are intelligent. This is serving people's needs and wishes. As the technology comes on line to allow them to do this, people will take it up," argues Lynn.

However, the eugenic maneuvers of the Nazi's were condemned because they experimented on live human beings and attempted to eliminate those they deemed defective. In the exact same way research on human embryos and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis results in the elimination of defective embryos and experimenting on and killing of live human beings. Pro-life observers note that just as with Nazi experimentation, where Germans were led to devalue the lives of the Jews since they were not regarded as fully human, so too society today has been convinced to regard the unborn as not fully human.

See the BBC coverage:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1952000/1952449.stm

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HEALTH MINISTER ESTABLISHED PANEL TO ARBITRATE ABORTION FUNDING BATTLE IN PROVINCES

OTTAWA, April 26, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Two weeks ago federal Health Minister Anne McLellan wrote her New Brunswick provincial counterpart to suggest a three-member panel to arbitrate disputes around the Canada Health Act. One of the major disputes between Ottawa and the provinces in this regard has been the funding of abortions at private abortuaries rather than only in hospitals.

The federal government has threatened some provinces with loss of funds if they refuse to fund abortions at private abortuaries. Through a freedom of information request The Moncton Times and Transcript obtained a copy of notes for a conversation between the federal and New Brunswick health ministers last year, demonstrating the threats.

Notes for then Health Minister Allan Rock which were prepared him for a conversation with then New Brunswick Health Minister Dennis Furlong read: "Unless New Brunswick agrees to change its policy, the province is vulnerable to mandatory dollar-for-dollar penalties under the user charges and extra-billing provisions of the Act and to discretionary penalties for a violation of the comprehensiveness and/or accessibility criteria." The notes continued, "During your conversation with Minister Furlong, you should emphasize that Health Canada has a Canada Health Act concern with New Brunswick's policy, that as federal minister you have a responsibility to ensure that provinces and territories comply with the requirements of the Act, and that you would prefer to resolve this issue through negotiation rather than the application of penalties."

Campaign Life Coalition New Brunswick President Peter Ryan said there is no need for the arbitration panel. "The so-called dispute between Ottawa and Fredericton is not hard to resolve," said Ryan. "All the province has to do is stand its ground that it will not force New Brunswickers to pay for abortions at private centers. And all the feds have to do is stop trying to coerce the province to coerce its people to pay for dead babies. What could be simpler?"

For the people of New Brunswick to fund abortion is to pay for their own demise as a people, Ryan maintains. "Abortion is a prime reason why the New Brunswick and Canadian birthrates are well below replacement levels." (The current Canadian rate is 1.5 per woman of child-bearing age. The most recently reported abortion rate is one abortion per 3 live births. Therefore, without surgical abortion the national birthrate would be 2, i.e. more or less replacement level.)

According to a 2001 province-wide poll conducted by Corporate Research Associates, most New Brunswickers oppose abortion funding, regardless of where they are performed. 58% said they opposed funding private abortion clinics; 31% were in favour.

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LIFESITE NEWSBYTES

UPDATE ON ANGELA BISSONNETTE
Yesterday it took approximately 2 hours to remove the bone marrow from Angela's sister Marie Claire. At 4:00 they began transplanting the bone marrow into Angela intravenously, and it was completed by 9:00. Angela looks great today, says her father Joe. Engrafting of the marrow should begin within the next 1-2 weeks. One difficult effect of the chemotherapy is the development of sores along the gastro-intestinal track. The most dangerous thing in the next few weeks is the risk of infection.

Angela is in reverse isolation, protecting her from germs. Only staff and parents may enter the ward, which is separated off by stark warning signs and three sets of steel doors. The isolation rooms have another two sets of doors with a continuous air sweep. Before entering the room staff and parents must have a 2 minute antiseptic scrub and wear gowns. Please continue to pray for Angela and her family.

HEROIC MOM WHO DELAYED CANCER TREATMENT SO AS NOT TO HARM HER UNBORN CHILD DIES
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=565341&in_rev...

PRO-LIFE GROUP HIT FOR TELLING TRUTH THAT "THE PILL" CAUSES ABORTIONS
http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/04/26/loc_right_to_life_adds.html

PRO-LIFE ACTION LEAGUE RESPONDS TO NOW ACCUSATIONS ABOUT 'VIOLENT PROTEST'
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=
/www/story/04-25-2002/0001714343&EDATE=

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MOVIE PICKS

THE ROOKIE - Disney : A heart warming, pro-family movie about a happily married, baseball loving high school teacher with three small children. He finds himself in the unexpected situation of possibly, at a late age, fulfilling his life-long dream of playing for a pro baseball team. Chock full of goodness and wonderful life lessons. Nothing at all objectionable. Excellent acting and music.

ICE AGE - If you fell the need for a lot of good, clean laughs, this movie is for you. A very different kind of animated movie about a small group of a mammoth, sabre tooth tiger and giant sloth who team up to return a lost native infant to its family. Sounds odd but the excellent dialogue and graphics make this a winner for all ages, including grandma and grandad. Some viewers are known to cry from laughter, especially because of the crazy antics of the neurotic prehistoric squirrel and the Dodos.

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