Posted on 02/22/2009 4:01:31 PM PST by Born Conservative
The president of the St. Patrick’s Parade Association expects the group to be in compliance with the demands of Bishop Joseph F. Martino.
Though the group’s board must still vote on whom to honor, it is unlikely the group will choose to honor elected officials who support abortion rights, Mike Harrity, president of the association, said Friday.
The diocese issued a letter warning Irish-American groups that the bishop may close St. Peter’s Cathedral during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations if pro-choice honorees are selected.
“We are fully supporting the bishop’s position,” Mr. Harrity said.
Mr. Harrity said he could not recall the association ever giving an honorary parade position to a politician who supported abortion rights.
“We support the bishop,” Mr. Harrity said. “We feel there would be no problem. Given our past history, that (choosing a pro-choice politician) is not going to come to fruition.”
The letter, which was signed by Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty, states that Bishop Martino is “determined to prevent scandal,” which would be caused if the organizations “in any way” should “honor pro-abortion officials” by giving them parade or dais positions or opportunities to speak and “the Catholic Church is seen to be involved in this honoring.”
The closing of St. Peter’s Cathedral is offered as an additional measure to prevent the honoring of such officials.
The parade association’s honorees — grand marshal, parade marshal, and honorary grand and parade marshals — will be nominated Sunday.
If a pro-choice politician is nominated, the 18-member board would still vote on the nomination, Mr. Harrity said.
“I’d think it wouldn’t pass, but I can’t say,” Mr. Harrity said. “That’s not for me to decide.”
Though Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton walked in the parade last year, she walked with a labor group and was not invited by the parade committee, Mr. Harrity said.
It would be “up to the bishop” to decide whether that would be in compliance this year, Mr. Harrity said.
William Genello, diocesan spokesman, did not return calls seeking further clarification on what the term “honoring” pro-choice politicians means.
Earlier this week, John Keeler, president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, said the members of his group, a 103-year-old Irish Catholic organization, were chagrined by the letter but believed they already are in compliance with it. Mark Durkan, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland, will speak at the group’s dinner.
Evie Rafalko McNulty, a founder of the Society of Irish Women, said the group had not yet confirmed a speaker for its annual dinner, but that the group has not invited anyone who has a legislative voting record on any abortion issue.
“I don’t see us not in compliance,” she said, but added that the group really did not have to be in “compliance.”
No bias in that headline...
> abortion rights,
The correct term is abortion murder.
There is no such thing as abortion rights.
I challenge anybody to find it for me in any of the founding documents of this nation.
“Abortion rights” was invented out of whole cloth by activist justices who believe the US Constitution is a “Living Document”.
In their typical, cynical, deconstructionist, orwellian perversion of language, “Living Document” to a Leftist means “Dead Letter”.
She learned it in journalism school.
Does this mean that Senator Bob Casey Jr will be banned from the parade?
Bishop Martino got my vote for the successor to Benedict XVI
A local talk radio host seems to think that Martino will make an example of Casey. I think he’s well on the way to doing that: http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=32056
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