New York Times Moralizes

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on an editorial in today’s New York Times:

When New York State was considering two bills dealing with the sexual abuse of minors, the New York Times endorsed the one that did not apply to the public schools. And today it has the nerve to lecture the pope for not having a universal policy on this issue. Too bad the pope didn’t hold a news conference saying he is taking his cues from the New York Times and has chosen to adopt the weakest of all measures.

When Family Planning Advocates, the lobbying arm of Planned Parenthood, and the New York Civil Liberties Union, blocked a bill in New York State mandating that all cases involving the sexual abuse of minors be reported, the New York Times said nothing! Looks like it saves its condemnatory language for the Catholic Church. By the way, the two liberal groups did so because they know that Planned Parenthood learns of cases involving statutory rape on a regular basis.

Does the New York Times want to compare the record of the Catholic Church to all other religious and secular institutions on this issue? Not for a moment. Indeed, when it was reported a few months ago that there were exactly six allegations made against over 40,000 priests between 2008 and 2009, the newspaper gave it a whopping 92 words.

The Times wonders why the Catholic Church doesn’t have the same policy everywhere. Does the Boston Globe, which the Times owns, have the same policies on misconduct as the Times? What about all the other companies the Times owns? Does it have even a clue as to how incredibly decentralized the Catholic Church is?

Finally, let’s get it straight, one more time. There is no “pedophilia scandal” as the Times says today. It’s always been a “homosexual scandal,” but the gay-happy New York Times doesn’t have the guts to tell the truth. In short, its moral authority is spent.

Jeff Field is the Director of Communications for the Catholic League. This press release was originally issued on July 9, 2010.