Wednesday, August 25, 2010

"Manufactured controversy" claims over Mother Teresa birthday

US Catholic groups have accused the country's Catholic League President Bill Donohue of having "manufactured a controversy out of nothing" over a campaign to get the Empire State Building to light up in honour of Mother Teresa.

Mr Donohue responded that the critics were not being true Catholics, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The groups - including Catholics for Choice and the National Coalition of American Nuns - have sent a letter to Anthony Malkin, an owner of the building.

"Mother Teresa rarely celebrated her birthday herself, and would, we are sure, be appalled to hear that this anniversary of her birth had been used to create such a storm," the groups wrote.

"There are many ways to mark the life of Mother Teresa, and true to form Mr. Donohue has chosen the wrong one. We urge you to stand firm and withstand whatever vitriol that comes your way from the Catholic League."

Donohue lashed out at his critics, charging that they are not true Catholics. If you put all the dues-paying members of these "very, very fringe" groups into one spot, he said, they'd "fit into a phone booth."

"They hate me, and, quite frankly, I don't give a s***," Donohue said. "They're angry that we have muscle, and they have none."

The Wall Street Journal report adds that Empire State Building owner Anthony Malkin rejected the application, explaining that while the building celebrates many cultures and causes with its iconic lightings, including the religious holidays of Easter, Eid al Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan), Hanukkah and Christmas, the building "has a specific policy against any other lighting for religious figures or requests by religions and religious organisations."

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