The editor of the Dominican free newspaper Alive! has defended the publication against complaints from several politicians that it is politically motivated because of its opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. Fr Brian McKevitt OP, who is the founder and editor of the freesheet accused politicians who complained about the distribution of Alive! at church doors to Cardinal Brady of trying to stifle free speech.
The use of churches, including Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, to distribute the freesheet was criticised by a number of politicians, most notably Labour TD Joe Costello, during the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.
Alive! adopted a strongly Euro-sceptic stance on the referendum which angered the pro-Lisbon side.
The distribution of the paper at church doors – and the newspaper’s editorial position on Europe – was raised again by several politicians when Cardinal Brady and other church leaders attended a recent meeting of the Oireachtas subcommittee on Europe.
Meath TD Thomas Burke, complained to the Church representatives that he was 'bombarded' while attending Mass during the Lisbon referendum campaign by the anti-EU views expressed in Alive!.
“The average churchgoer got the impression that it was sinful to vote for the Lisbon Treaty,” Mr Byrne told the Church representatives, adding that while the Cardinal had said Catholics could vote in good conscience for the Treaty, a newspaper taking an alternative line was being distributed at church doors.
Labour TD Joe Costello said Alive! preached hatred of the EU and was particularly critical of politicians who supported the treaty.
And sub-committee chairman, Senator Paschal Donohoe, said Alive! was taken by Catholics as the voice of the Church and asked Cardinal Brady to take “firm action” against it.
Fr McKevitt defended his newspaper, saying the EU Europe Committee was “not doing its job which is to listen to the views of the people on both sides of the debate regarding the Lisbon treaty.'
He said Alive! had not so much taken an anti-Lisbon Treaty stance but had highlighted a number of issues neglected by mainstream media.
"It provides a platform for communicating 'the good news' and also comments on news from a Catholic perspective and in that sense it provides an alternative to the national media which ignores a lot of good things which are happening in the Church,” he said.
Fr McKevitt said it was 'sad' to see politicians targeting such a publication and hoped the Church would stand up to this type of pressure to stifle free speech.
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(Source: CIN)