ARCHBISHOP MYERS UNDER FIRE (Catholic Caucus)

Catholic League ^ | May 1, 2013 | William Donohue

[Coleus]

Bill Donohue comments as follows:

Left-wing Catholics, and ex-Catholics, tried in vain to get Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph to step down, and now they have their sights set on Newark Archbishop John Myers. Their goal is to bring down a bishop—any bishop.

Leading the charge against Archbishop Myers is the Newark Star-Ledger, which on Sunday said he should resign. The newspaper is guilty of journalistic malfeasance, and for this reason the entire editorial board should resign immediately. To be specific, the newspaper has violated the tenets of the Society of Professional Journalists by failing to accurately report on this issue: “Deliberate distortion is never permissible.”

I have documented the Catholic League’s case against the newspaper in a report, “Star-Ledger’s War on Archbishop Myers.” To read it, click here. Some politicians, all pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage, as well as long-time foes of the Catholic Church (cited in the report), have jumped on the bandwagon.

We will make sure that everyone who needs to know the truth about this scurrilous attack on Archbishop Myers gets a copy of the report. We are sending it to the following:

a) every bishop in the nation
b) every administrative office in the Newark archdiocese
c) every pastor in the Newark archdiocese
d) the New Jersey Catholic Conference
e) the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
f) the deans of every New Jersey college with a program in journalism
g) every TV and radio outlet in the area
h) over 200 employees at the newspaper, including those who cover “food news” and “soccer.”

Contact Tom Moran, editorial page editor: tmoran@starledger.com

[Coleus]

ARCHBISHOP MYERS DESERVES SUPPORT

Bill Donohue comments as follows:

Yesterday, we released a report, the “Star-Ledger’s War on Archbishop Myers,” that garnered a strong response, overwhelmingly positive. However, there are a few questions that some critics have raised that deserve an answer.

I wrote the report in response to a contrived story emanating from a foe of the Catholic Church. The newspaper not only provided no evidence that Father Fugee broke his agreement with the local prosecutor not to be around minors in an unsupervised capacity, it offered no proof that in the 12 years since Fugee’s case surfaced, he has acted improperly. In short, nothing broke—there is no story here. Yet the Star-Ledger, which is not exactly Catholic-friendly, wants Archbishop Myers to resign.

Some are saying that Fugee’s legal status is conditioned on a technicality that allowed him to return to ministry. Let me make this clear: If accused Muslim terrorists, who seek to kill as many innocent Americans as they can, are given (free of charge) attorneys prepared to exploit every legal loophole there is, then I want priests to be afforded the same measures.

In his February 7, 2013 letter to Newark priests, Archbishop Myers said the following: “At the end of the entire process, Father Fugee’s acquittal and dismissal of charges, and the Review Board’s conclusion that no sexual abuse occurred, guided me in my decision to allow him to return to ministry. It is also important to note that, in reaching my decision, the recommendations of the County Prosecutor regarding Father Fugee’s ability to return to ministry and future assignments in ministry carried great weight. We have followed those recommendations fully.” Anyone is free to criticize Archbishop Myers, but in this case his most vociferous critics are not fair-minded observers—they are highly politicized forces seeking to execute their own sick agenda. It’s time they hit a brick wall of opposition.

[Viennacon]

pathetic leftist newspapers are fun to watch implode. What was that rag that outed gun owner’s locations?

[wastoute]

Here is real news! The “Society of Professional Journalists” has “tenets of ethics”. Who knew?

[illinidiva]

No.. He really doesn’t. That was gross incompetence on his part.