No Empire State Lights for Mother Teresa

nbcnewyork.com ^ | 6/9/2010 | Puppage

[Puppage]

The Empire State Building said "yes" to Mariah Carey, dog shows, cancer charities -- and even the 60th anniversary of communist China.

But the landmark skyscraper's owners have declined to illuminate it in honor of the late Mother Teresa.

"They're bigots! They have an animus against Catholics!'' Catholic League President Bill Donohue told The Associated Press.

He said his advocacy group requested that the building glow on Aug. 26 for the centennial of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner's birth. The request was denied in an unsigned, faxed letter, Donohue said, "and they never gave an explanation.''

He said Empire State Building officials were "stonewalling'' not only the Catholic League, but also the media and members of New York's City Council.

Now, another prominent New York Catholic is voicing her outrage. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn told the AP that she spoke

Tuesday with Empire State Building owner Anthony Malkin. Although the real estate mogul was "very professional'' and said he "would reflect on the points I made,'' she said, he didn't give her a satisfactory answer.

She said the answer should be "yes to Mother Teresa.'' Telephone messages left for building spokeswoman Melanie Maasch were not returned Tuesday. The telephone at Malkin Holdings, Malkin's Manhattan-based company, rang unanswered late Tuesday afternoon.

In New York, Mother Teresa helped open a pioneering hospice for AIDS patients in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.

"Her impact on the world was so much greater than one religious group,'' Quinn said.

Although she's Catholic, the Democratic City Council speaker has often disagreed with the religiously traditional League on issues such as gay marriage. Quinn is openly gay.

But when it comes to the iconic skyscraper and the ethnic Albanian nun who worked in India, she backs the League.

Meanwhile, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez released a statement saying he and Councilman Peter Vallone plan to introduce a resolution at a City Hall press conference and rally Wednesday calling on the building to honor Mother Teresa.

"Although we may not universally agree on all of her opinions and actions, Mother Teresa was undoubtedly an example of moral fortitude and self-sacrifice that we can all learn from,'' said Rodriguez.

Illuminating the 102-story high-rise on Fifth Avenue in different colors to mark an important date, cause or personality is a New York tradition. The building is color-decorated for religious holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah and other special occasions.

"They offer a tribute to the communist Chinese, but say no to Mother Teresa,'' said Donohue.

For Mother Teresa, the building would glow in blue and white in the New York night -- the colors of her Missionaries of Charity order. Mother Teresa died in 1997, at 87, and was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church -- a step toward possible sainthood.

Requesting a lighting display involves filling out an application evaluated by the Empire State Building Co., which is privately owned and considers selection ``a privilege, not an entitlement,'' according to the website with the application form.

A decision is made "at the sole discretion of the (company's) ownership and management.''

[Puppage]

They had no trouble lighting up green for Ramadan, either.

[American Constitutionalist]

As long as it does not have anything to do with Christians, they are ok with it.... anything goes., except Christ.

[jersey117]

I truly admired Mother Theresa. This makes me sad.

[Steely Tom]

I don’t think she would have wanted the gesture.

[momtothree]

This is very sad. However, the Catholic Church should take note on how the left treats them as a group. I didn’t hear one word from Catholic leadership when Nancy Pelosi told them what to preach to its congregation. As long as the church supports a liberal agenda and a certain political party then I don’t understand why they are surprised when something like this happens. Sorry, just an insight.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Excellent point.

[Puppage]

I don’t think she would have wanted the gesture

I tend to agree, however that's not at issue here.

[trickyricky]

Why would anyone consider that an honor?
New York, the armpit of the planet, is not a fitting place to honor anyone but Lucifer.

[Steely Tom]

I once heard Paul Harvey end one of his segments with these words:

"Just think: there are people who live their entire lives in New York City and then, when they die, go to hell.... Page two."

[bronxville]

Thanks for posting this Puppage.

momtothree, we have been fighting this for a while. One just doesn’t see it in the secular media.

Please sign the petition...

http://www.catholicleague.org/petition.php

[momtothree]

I did and thank you. Isn’t there something in the bible that says something like “when the good becomes bad and the bad becomes good?” I think Mother Teresa’s life is a lesson to all good people (not just Catholics).

[trickyricky]

That's a good one!
It's a toss up between N.Y. and D.C. which city is more evil.
In either one it's so thick you could cut it with a knife.