Action Alert: FReep Pro-Abort Michigan Gub. Candidate Granholm, Her Priests & Silent Cardinal

To participate in the peaceful demonstration outside Our Lady of Good Counsel, a parish that celebrates their most high-profile member, Jennifer Granholm (pro-abortion extremist gubenatorial candidate), come in a spirit of prayer, good will, and quiet witness.

Join pro-lifers present there before or after one of the OLGC masses this weekend. The Masses are Saturday at 4 pm, Sunday at 8 am, 10 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm.

You should be there 30 minutes before any given Mass, or 45 minutes after the start of any given Mass (for example, 9:30 am or 10:45 am Sunday to convey your message to the attendees of the 10 am Mass).

If you make signs, the theme of the demonstration is the Church's teaching about abortion, what abortion really is, and that Catholics, particularly politicians like Granholm, support murder when they are "pro-choice." Thus, signs might say "The Church is Pro-Life," "Granholm's Abortion Advocacy is Not Catholic," "Pro-Choice = Abortion," etc.

OLGC is located on the Northwest corner of N. Territorial Road and Beck Road in Plymouth Michigan. Take Exit 18 off of M14 and go south on Beck Road. The first intersection is N. Territorial, and the Church is on your right.

******* Park on the outlet street by the Fire Station, off Beck Rd just North of N. Territorial!******

Then walk over to the Church. You will see people with signs. Ask for George or Lori or Diane or Cecile and tell them you're there to participate. They will tell you where to stand and in what manner.

The sidewalk and the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street are public rights of way where you can stand, but neither the street nor the sidewalk can be obstructed, nor will OLGC permit demonstrators on their property. For obstruction or trespass you risk a citation. Otherwise, peaceful demonstration on a public right of way appropriate for pedestrians is not being prosecuted.

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP -- Anti-abortion activists have launched a small but vocal movement to excommunicate pro-choice Attorney General Jennifer Granholm from the Roman Catholic Church.

Since early June, a group of 10-30 protesters have picketed outside of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth Township, where the Democratic nominee for governor is a member. Foes say Granholm is a heretic because she is Catholic yet adamantly pro-choice.

Protesters already have quarreled with police, sued the township and tangled with the Archdiocese of Detroit for ignoring excommunication demands.

The weekend pickets will continue until at least the Nov. 5 election that pits Granholm against Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus, said George D. Stephens, 49, a Madison Heights salesman who is leading the demonstrations.

"Jennifer Granholm appears at campaign stops with a Bible in her hand, but she's not following what it says," Stephens said.

The archdiocese mostly has stayed out of the fray, except to issue a statement reaffirming its opposition to abortion after Our Lady of Good Counsel associate pastor the Rev. Doc Ortman wrote an Aug. 4 article in the church bulletin that defended Granholm's right to be pro-choice and Catholic. Granholm's husband, Dan Mulhern, passed out fliers to parishioners that same day apologizing for the "siege" and asking them to pray for his wife.

On Sunday, Ortman apologized in the church bulletin for causing "embarrassment and hurt" and wrote that he remains opposed to abortion.

Granholm spokesman Chris DeWitt defended the pickets' rights to protest but objected to their methods, which include displaying photos of aborted fetuses.

In July, Plymouth Township police seized graphic placards from at least three pickets. The Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor Township won a restraining order last month allowing the protests to continue with the displays.

The conservative Catholic law firm founded by Domino's Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan has also sued the township, claiming infringement on protesters' free-speech rights. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court does not seek damages.

"The (signs) may be graphic, but if people don't like them, they have an obligation to look away," said Ed White, associate counselor for the law firm.

A friend who is a protester wrote this after reading the apology of Fr. Ortman:

This weekend, Fr. “Doc” Ortman asked forgiveness for "misunderstanding" arising from his "ambiguous" statement a few weeks ago in the Our Lady of Good Counsel bulletin. He briefly explained that he is against “abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment,” and said he was writing this at the request of Cardinal Maida and Bishop Britt (who has been appointed to address the scandal surrounding OLGC’s advocacy of Jennifer Granholm and abortion). As a pro-life Catholic I welcome this step by Fr. Doc, but it remains ambiguous and it must be the first of several steps.

There was no "misunderstanding" three weeks ago. Fr. Doc and Fr. Sullivan were rather unambiguous and specific in trumpetting the following pernicious lies:

· “Pro-choice” on abortion is THE Catholic view
· Granholm’s “pro-choice” views are faithful Catholic views
· Laws protecting preborn children violate our God-given rights
· “Pro-choice” on abortion is not the same as “pro-abortion”
Further, they enthusiastically permitted Granholm’s husband to leaflet the parish before the election, identifying Granholm as “pro-life.” Last Sunday, Fr. Doc was caught again spouting his “pro-choice” dogma to a parishioner after the 5 pm Mass. This is “clerical abuse” of the worst kind, demonstrating that the OLGC priests are severely compromised in their ability to fulfill their pastoral duties faithfully.

Fr. Doc's new statement refuses to address any of these falsehoods. Then and now he says he "reverences" preborn life, yet he claimed three weeks ago that these lies are consistent with his "reverence." Now he says he's against abortion, but three weeks ago he said Catholics defend abortion's legality even while they oppose it. Granholm, Clinton, and Planned Parenthood all claim to be pro-life with the help of these priests' reasoning. Whether Fr. Doc is truly repentant is between him and God, but this scandal requires SPECIFICITY. Continued ambiguity reeks of bad faith.

As shepherds, Cardinal Maida and Bishop Britt must specifically contradict the four OLGC orthodoxies above. They must publicly censure Ms. Granholm until she reconciles her views to the Church. They must require Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Doc to recant these lies specifically and pledge fidelity to true Catholic teaching. They must remove Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Doc from ministry because of the danger to pregnant girls in the parish, and they must re-catechize the parish under faithful clerical oversight.

Until Cardinal Maida and Bishop Britt carry out this duty, the lay faithful must wage an ongoing public campaign, through every charitable means, to address Granholm’s and OLGC’s scandal, clarify the Church’s teaching, and persuade the bishops to do their duty.

THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL EVENT AT THE DETROIT CATHEDRAL BEING HELD THIS SATURDAY MORNING to encourage the Cardinal to break his silence - it is in addition to the picketing at OLGC parish in Plymouth:

Hi everybody-

A few clarifications about what's happening Saturday, as a response to some questions and comments I've received (if you would help me out by sending this out to those who have received the earlier message(s)):

1. This is a demonstration IN SUPPORT of the Church, not a protest or picket against the Church: we are obedient and faithful Catholics who accept the authority of our bishop, Adam Cardinal Maida, as successor to the Apostles. We are asking, not telling, him what we hope he will do as our shepherd.

2. We are meeting for two reasons:
1- to publicly reiterate the Church's teaching about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death
2- to ask that the local Church leaders repudiate the anti-life candidacies of Jennifer Granholm and any other person publicly claiming Catholic support while rejecting Church teaching

3. As far as I'm aware, the Cathedral is closed for "renovation" right now and there will be no Mass occurring during our demonstration- however, if that proves not to be the case, the Cathedral Mass would be ending just before the time we start (according to the usual schedule).

4. PLEASE PLEASE come in a spirit of holy charity, humility, and respect. The truth must be spoken in love. We are all sinners and we are asking for clarity on these teachings for Jennifer Granholm's spiritual benefit as well as our own. Whether she chooses to avail herself of that assistance is entirely up to her.

5. THANK YOU all for responding with such courage and enthusiasm- I am heartened and delighted at the thought that so many are sacrificing plans in order to make a stand for the Gospel of Life.

6. It appears that I am going to be the spokesman for this gathering, if any of the media show up. Sigh. Please refer inquiries to Nancy Restuccia as I have a prepared statement about the purpose of this gathering and the message can be diluted and ineffective if there are too many different comments on what's going on. Please pray hard for me that God gives me the grace and courage to say what needs to be said, and to say it so that those who have ears to hear will hear it. I don't know about you all, but I'm going to try to get to confession before Saturday.

Thanks everybody- please see the end of this email for the address and directions to the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. Or you can take the address of the Cathedral (9844 Woodward in Detroit) and Mapquest it. I'm really looking forward to seeing everybody on Saturday. Please email me with any comments or questions at stoosh@comcast.net.

Yours in Christ,
Nancy

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
9844-9854 Woodward Avenue
9:30 am Saturday, August 31st

From Ann Arbor:
4: Take the US-23-BR N/M-14 E ramp. 0.12 miles

5: Merge onto MI-14 E. 19.06 miles

6: MI-14 E becomes I-96 E. 8.78 miles

7: Take I-96 LOCAL E towards M-39. 0.21 miles

8: Merge onto I-96 LOCAL E. 5.03 miles

9: Take the DAVISON AVE exit- exit number 186B- on the left. 0.63 miles

10: Merge onto DAVISON W. 1.95 miles

11: DAVISON W becomes MI-8 E/DAVISON FRWY E. 0.02 miles

12: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto ramp. 0.19 miles

13: Merge onto JOHN C LODGE FRWY. 1.01 miles

14: Take the CHICAGO BLVD exit. 0.17 miles

15: Merge onto CHICAGO BLVD. 0.65 miles

16: Turn LEFT onto WOODWARD AVE/MI-1. 0.11 miles

Total Estimated Time: Total Distance:
52 minutes 39.17 miles

From Sterling Heights:

6: Take the I-696 ramp towards PORT HURON/LANSING. 0.27 miles

7: Keep RIGHT at the fork in the ramp. 0.40 miles

8: Merge onto I-696 W. 3.19 miles

9: Take the I-75 exit- exit number 18- towards DETROIT-TOLEDO/FLINT. 0.15 miles

10: Take the I-75 S exit on the left towards DETROIT/TOLEDO. 0.47 miles

11: Merge onto I-75 S. 4.61 miles

12: Take the DAVISON FWY WEST exit- exit number 56B. 0.35 miles

13: Keep RIGHT at the fork in the ramp. 0.14 miles

14: Stay straight to go onto E DAVISON. 0.58 miles

15: Turn LEFT onto WOODWARD AVE/MI-1. 1.22 miles

Total Estimated Time: Total Distance:
38 minutes 18.39 miles

From Novi:

3: Take the I-96 E ramp. 0.37 miles

4: Merge onto I-96 E. 0.69 miles

5: Take the I-696/M-5 E exit on the left towards PORT HURON/GD RIVER AVE. 0.58 miles

6: Take the I-696 exit on the left towards PORT HURON. 1.22 miles

7: Merge onto I-696 E. 6.51 miles

8: Take the M-10/LODGE FWY exit- exit number 8- towards US-24/TELEGRAPH RD. 0.42 miles

9: Merge onto JOHN C LODGE FRWY. 13.11 miles

10: Take the CHICAGO BLVD exit. 0.17 miles

11: Merge onto CHICAGO BLVD. 0.65 miles

12: Turn LEFT onto WOODWARD AVE/MI-1. 0.11 miles

From Canton:

7: Merge onto I-275 N. 3.92 miles

8: Take the I-96 E/M-14 exit- exit number 29- towards DETROIT/ANN ARBOR. 0.19 miles

9: Take the I-96 E exit towards DETROIT. 0.48 miles

10: Merge onto JEFFRIES FRWY. 8.97 miles

11: Take I-96 LOCAL E towards M-39. 0.21 miles

12: Merge onto I-96 LOCAL E. 5.03 miles

13: Take the DAVISON AVE exit- exit number 186B- on the left. 0.63 miles

14: Merge onto DAVISON W. 1.95 miles

15: DAVISON W becomes MI-8 E/DAVISON FRWY E. 0.02 miles

16: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto ramp. 0.19 miles

17: Merge onto JOHN C LODGE FRWY. 1.01 miles

18: Take the CHICAGO BLVD exit. 0.17 miles

19: Merge onto CHICAGO BLVD. 0.65 miles

20: Turn LEFT onto WOODWARD AVE/MI-1. 0.11 miles

Total Estimated Time: Total Distance:
43 minutes 27.12 miles

"There was no 'misunderstanding' three weeks ago. Fr. Doc and Fr. Sullivan were rather unambiguous and specific in trumpetting the following pernicious lies:
· 'Pro-choice” on abortion is THE Catholic view
· Granholm’s 'pro-choice' views are faithful Catholic views
· Laws protecting preborn children violate our God-given rights
· 'Pro-choice' on abortion is not the same as 'pro-abortion'
Further, they enthusiastically permitted Granholm’s husband to leaflet the parish before the election, identifying Granholm as 'pro-life.' Last Sunday, Fr. Doc was caught again spouting his 'pro-choice' dogma to a parishioner after the 5 pm Mass. This is 'clerical abuse' of the worst kind, demonstrating that the OLGC priests are severely compromised in their ability to fulfill their pastoral duties faithfully."

Wrap this up & send it to The Vatican addressed to the Holy Father, himself.

The Pontiff is fair, just & righteous.
He just might conclude (as many of us already have) that the Homosexuals infesting our church who're warping & perverting our religion??
Are merely part & parcel to this "Pro-Choice" junk being peddled.
Both type of people advocating this garbage are cut from the same bolt of cloth as they obviously share a common motive.

IF Johan Paul knows about this, he just might act in earnest & with the Sword of the Lord.

...strike while the metal's hot, I say.

Good news -- thank you all freepers -- there is STRENGTH in numbers.

BISHOP COMPELS PRIEST TO APOLOGIZE FOR “PRO-CHOICE” DEFENCE
Catholics Demand Detroit Cardinal Publicly Censure Pro-Abortion Catholic Candidate

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/aug/02082702.html

PLYMOUTH, MI, August 27, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Amidst pressure from his Bishops and criticism from fellow priests, a Catholic priest who advocated abortion asked forgiveness in the bulletin of Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Parish on Sunday August 25th. "At the request of Cardinal Maida, Bishop Kevin Britt has asked that I write to allay the fears of some that I am less than Catholic in my dedication to life," began the apology from Fr. Doc Ortman, associate pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) parish.

Faithful Catholics took to the streets in protest after the parish refused to recant the false teaching Fr. Ortman put forward in a previous parish bulletin which said being "pro-choice" was an authentically Catholic position. In the controversial bulletin the priest was attempting to give support to a pro-abortion politician - Jennifer Granholm - who is a member of the parish.

Meanwhile, other Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit printed condemnations of Fr. Ortman's views. Fr. Dan Zaleski of St. Albert the Great Parish in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, said in his Sunday bulletin that priests who champion the pro-choice abortion view are "dead wrong," and that Catholics who vote for a pro-choice candidate "sanction murder." In his "Sunday Column," Fr. Eduard Perrone of Assumption Grotto in Detroit expressed his desire that the Cardinal apply the "one-strike and out" policy (enacted for clergy sexual-abusers) "to such priests who dissent publicly from Catholic teaching."

Lay Catholics who had been demonstrating outside the parish welcomed the apology but are demanding that Adam Cardinal Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit further publicly censure the pro-abortion gubernatorial candidate and OLGC parishioner. Matt Bowman, a spokesman for the group said "The lie that a Catholic can be 'pro-choice' on abortion must be clarified now so that Catholics do not vote believing Granholm is a faithful Catholic."

See LifeSite's related coverage:
CATHOLICS TAKE ACTION AFTER PRIESTS DEFEND PRO-ABORTION POLITICIAN
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/aug/02081401.html

See the bulletins on line and the contact info for the parish at:
http://www.catholicweb.com/directory.cfm?fuseaction=display_site_info&sitetype=4&site id=59371&OffAdsOnly=1

Contact information on the Archdiocese of Detroit (See Services)
http://www.archdioceseofdetroit.org/

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