Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 11:17:04 -0500 (EST)
From: HALSALL@MURRAY.FORDHAM.EDU
Subject: Leading Catholic Bishops Sign Pro-Gay Advertisement

In response to the verbal attacks on "whites, women, Jews, Arabs,
gays, and African Americans" by some Nation of Islam figures, the
American Jewish Committee placed an advertisement in several publications,
including the New Republic, signed by a number of prominent figures
in American life. The signers signed on to the following statement:

"We, the undersigned, believe that the best response we can give to
those who teach hate is to join our voices, as we have so often joined
forces, in a better message - of faith in each other, of shared
devotion to America's highest ideals of freedom and equality."

Signers include:
Bishop Moses B. Anderson S.S.E. [Auxiliary Bishop in Detroit]
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin [Chicago]
Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua [Philadelphia]
Archbishop John F. Donahue [Atlanta]
Bishop Jospeh Lawson Howze [Biloxi]
Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy [Miami]
Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy [Seattle]
Archbishop Daniel Pilarszyk [Cincinnati]
Archbishop John Quinn [San Francisco]
Bishop J. Keith Symons [Palm Beach, FL]
Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland [Milwaukee]

Other Catholic Signatories include:
J. Augustus Accurso [Pres. Sons of Italy]
Gov. Mario Cuomo [New York]
Mayor Richard Daley [Chicago]
Fr. Albert J. DiJulio [President, Marquette Univ.]
Fr. Jon Neuhaus
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani [New York]
US. Rep. Thomas J. Manton [New York]
Br. William Martyn [Archdiocese of NY]
Msgr John McMahon [St. Joan of Arc RC Church, Boca Raton]
Hon. Thomas Melady [Us. Ambassador to the Holy See]
Edward J. Moskai [Pres., Polish American Congress]
Fr. Pablo Navarro [Rector, Seminary, Boca Raton]


Lesbian and Gay Signatories include
Julie Dorf [Dir. Internat. Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission]
Michael Eisner [CEO, Disney]
David Geffen [Record Producer]
Rev. Dr. Carter Hayward [Prof of Theology, Camb. Div School]
Tim McFeely [Exec. Dir., Human Rights Campaign Fund]
Mayor Roxanne Quails [Cinncinati]
Peri Jude Radecic [Exec. Dir., Nat. Gay and Lesbian Task Force]


The Statement is explicitly pro-Gay, it deliberately includes as
signatories leading figures in the Gay and Lesbian political and
cultural communities, it accepts as analogous hatred based on
race, gender, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. AND
ELEVEN leading Catholic bishops signed it [in the same week
when the bishop of Rome was doing his own "Nation of Catholicism"
skit and publically name-calling lesbian and gays "deviants"].

All this is very interesting.

Paul Halsall
Halsall@murray.fordham.edu