Boston, Mass., Dec 4, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Close to 100 Catholic leaders have signed and sent a letter to Archbishop Sean O’Malley of Boston, demanding that Catholic Charities uninvite pro-abortion Boston City Mayor Tom Menino as the honoree of its Christmas fundraising dinner, Dec. 9.
The signatories, mostly prominent business people and grassroots leaders, cite a 2004 document of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which says Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of fundamental Catholic moral principles.
The letter begins by commending the archbishop for withdrawing from the dinner honoring the pro-abortion Catholic politician but asks him to take further action, reported Deal Hudson in the e-letter “The Window”.
The letter also urges the archbishop to replace Fr. Bryan Hehir, the head of Boston's Catholic Charities, with new leadership if the priest refuses to name a new honoree.
"It is time to put 'Catholic' beliefs and teachings back into Catholic Charities of Boston," reads the letter.
The mayor said the people who were calling for him to be uninvited were motivated by "animosity" and lacked "charity." Menino interpreted the archbishop’s withdrawal from the dinner as necessitated by the U.S. bishops conference, reported Hudson.
In a Boston Globe article, Menino said: "The Church should teach to the faithful but should not interfere in issues that involve the civil rights of the entire population." He also said: ''When the Pope speaks on doctrine that is absolute. I don't think choice and gay marriage are doctrine."
The two activists, whose protest spurred the archbishop's actions, are C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts and Carol McKinley of Boston's Faithful Voice.