Posted on 02/15/2011 1:04:59 PM PST by topher
LifeSiteNews is being sued for $500,000 - this could shut us down!
by The Editors
Tue Feb 15 1:52 PM EST
It is with great concern that we have to inform our readers that LifeSiteNews (LSN) Canada has been hit with a lawsuit – by a Catholic priest of all things!
Regular readers of LSN will need no introduction to Fr. Raymond Gravel – he’s the Quebec priest and former Member of Canada’s Parliament who, as we reported, said on a radio interview in 2004: “I am pro-choice and there is not a bishop on earth that will prevent me from receiving Communion, not even the Pope.”
Then, in 2008, he defended the awarding of Canada’s highest civilian award to the country’s ‘father of abortion’ – arch-abortionist Henry Morgentaler! During his political career he was rated as ‘pro-abortion’ by the political arm of the pro-life movement. He has also repeatedly and publicly criticized his church’s teachings on homosexuality and abortion.
Even though LifeSiteNews reports have overwhelmingly reported on what Fr. Gravel himself has publicly said, he is suing us for libel. Among other things, he argues that he isn’t pro-abortion, but he has said in the past that he is “pro-choice.”
He’s demanding $500,000 in damages – which, coincidentally, is a full year’s budget for us. That would put LifeSiteNews out of business!
Will you stand with us at this time as we fight this lawsuit?
U.S. and International donors click here to donate
Canadian donors click here to donate
It is difficult enough for LifeSiteNews to keep afloat financially, even at the best of times. But with the downturn in the economy it has become harder than ever. Fighting this lawsuit adds a potentially very large and currently impossible extra financial burden.
At LSN we are completely dependent upon Divine Providence; we usually have just enough in our bank account to get by until our next quarterly fundraiser (if even!). We simply have no money to spend on potentially crippling legal fees.
This lawsuit also comes at the same time that attacks on the free speech rights of pro-life, pro-family and Christian citizens and media have been increasing all across the West.
It is vitally important that LifeSiteNews win this case – not just for our sake, but for the sake of the whole movement. We simply cannot let the opponents of life and family shut down one of the few media voices that upholds the right to life and the sanctity of marriage and the family.
The very fact that Fr. Gravel feels he has to sue LSN is proof-positive of just how much LSN is needed. Writing about LifeSiteNews.com in Le Devoir on April 20, 2009, Fr. Gravel said that when his bishop received a letter from the Vatican “which forced me to retire from political life,” attached to the letter “was a file almost exclusively in English made up of negative comments about me … which came from those ultra-conservative media.” He even complained about LifeSiteNews during a speech on the floor of the House of Commons!
And then, more recently, Fr. Gravel was removed from a position as a chief catechist for his diocese. In his motion Fr. Gravel suggests that the articles by LSN caused him to lose this responsibility.
Despite the fact that LSN has made it clear that we wish no harm to Fr. Gravel, and that, in fact, we are concerned for his wellbeing, he has launched a suit that could severely, even permanently disrupt our life- and culture-saving work.
Already our staff have had to dedicate several full days’ work just to responding to his charges – and that’s before the case has even really begun. The first preliminary hearing is this Thursday in Joliette, Quebec.
While the amazing Thomas More Society of Chicago has offered to help us in this case, there is only so much they can do. The case will have to be fought in the Quebec courts, and the Thomas More Society is a U.S.-based organization.
Thus, we have been forced to hire professional Canadian legal help. And as anyone who knows the first thing about lawsuits knows, legal fees can mount…fast.
At this difficult time, we must once again turn to our ever-faithful supporters. The only way we can withstand this attack is with your help.
We are confident about the truthfulness and professionalism of our reporting on this matter and are determined to fight and win against this unjust lawsuit. Will you join us?
Will you also appeal to others that you know to help us at this time of extra special need?
Please consider making a donation. And then - spread the word.
U.S. and International donors click here to donate
Canadian donors click here to donate
Thank you, and God bless.
John-Henry Westen
Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Steve Jalsevac
Co-Founder and Managing Director
LifeSiteNews.com
Copyright © 2010 LifeSiteNews.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Since he is a member of Parliament, things about him such as his stand on abortion is public record.
He is a strong advocate of abortion and homosexual rights.
There does not seem to be any basis for his libel suit -- he is strong advocate of abortion and homosexual rights.
Seems like a two or three million letters, phone calls, and faxes to his bishop is in order...
He needs to be ex-communicated ASAP.
Start by tossing this priest out of the Catholic Church (the Anglican Church can always use a priest like this one...
In this day and age, he should not win his suit, but he might win his law suit.
One problem is that groups like Thomas More Society focuses on US Law, not Canadian Law.
I don't have muhc money, but I do think step#1 --- and the time for it is long past --- is to separate this man from the Catholic priesthood. And then, step 2 is to raise funds for LSN. And can surely publicize and burn up the phone lines.
Maybe he needs a personal audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
If that would straighten this priest out, I am all for it.
But I do not see him changing his stand on abortion or homosexual unions.
I don't have muhc money, but I do think step#1 --- and the time for it is long past --- is to separate this man from the Catholic priesthood. And then, step 2 is to raise funds for LSN. And can surely publicize and burn up the phone lines.
I don't have muhc money, but I do think step#1 --- and the time for it is long past --- is to separate this man from the Catholic priesthood. And then, step 2 is to raise funds for LSN. And can surely publicize and burn up the phone lines.
triple posted.triple-posted.
Defrocking a priest is not something I’m familiar with the Catholic Church doing quickly or often. When they do it, it has been a long time coming, with many opportunities for the former priest to have clarified what he’s said, to reconsider, and so forth. And I think that’s what would be happening now. I don’t think this one will be staying a Catholic priest. He might even be offered the option of having it seem as if it were his decision to resign.
As far as receiving holy communion, he’s ill-advised. He should try it here in NY. Sure, he might be able to sneak it from some parish that doesn’t know about him, but they can and do refuse it to people like him. It’s the Church of Rome, not the Church of Individualistic Roman-Collar Wearers.
From the CBC article:
...The complaints stemmed from his support for Dr. Henry Morgentaler’s nomination to the Order of Canada, and his opposition to Bill C-484, a piece of legislation on crimes committed against pregnant women.
Gravel said he was disappointed with the complaints that he believes twisted his beliefs. “I’ve never gone against the church doctrine,” he told CBC’s French-language service. “I do not support abortion, I am opposed to abortion.”
When Gravel won his seat, he said he wouldn’t vote on social issues presented in the House of Commons that would compromise his position as a priest. Gravel maintained his priest status while in office but was barred from celebrating mass, weddings or funerals or performing baptisms...
The Very Irrev. Gilles Lussier of Joliette, Quebec. Rots-a-ruck trying to get him to take appropriate action; Lussier knew Gravel was a sodomite and baby-butchering activist BEFORE Lussier gave him a baseless exemption from Rome’s policy of disallowing priests to serve in elective office. Mind you, Rome’s policy prevents orthodox priests from serving in public office; the purpose of exemption was for extreme circumstances where the Church needed someone to represent Catholic orthodoxy in government, and Lussier gave the exemption knowing Gravel was a radical dissenter.
Father Gravel ran for parliament supporting same sex unions.
Also, Father Gravel ran for parliament supporting abortion.
Either the Wikipedia article is way off (based on newspaper accounts of Father Gravel) or CBC is pulling an MSNBC in Canada...
Bishop is Gilles Lussier
Website for diocese is:
However, the website is in French. But I assume that they will take letters/phone calls in English.
I have contacted the Knights of Columbus and the USCCB ProLife committee.
Though the USCCB has no jurisdiction in Canada, they have the authority to contact the Vatican over this matter -- especially if the prolife movement of the Catholic Church will be harmed by this priest...
The Knights of Columbus has deep pockets -- meaning if they chose to intervene, they might intervene with money as well as their Canadian members...
But Bishop Gilles Lussier is just shy of his 71st birthday.
He will be 71 on June 5, 2011. He was born in 1940, so he will not reach the mandatory retirement age until 2015.
Still, Bishops have retired before the mandatory retirement age...
I posted it as an example of Gravel’s duplicity.
bump
My understanding is that Irrev. Gravel has been prohibited from public sacraments as it is.
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