Diocese Bars AntiWar Activist Sheehan, by Borys Krawczeniuk, Standard Speaker, March 13, 2010

Diocese Bars Anti-War Activist Sheehan

By Borys Krawczeniuk
Standard Speaker
March 13, 2010

http://standardspeaker.com/news/diocese-bars-anti-war-activist-sheehan-1.676051

SCRANTON (PA) -- The Diocese of Scranton has forbidden internationally known anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan from speaking at a local church hall or any other local Catholic venue, citing her support for abortion and gay marriage.

"Although Mrs. Sheehan is well-known for her anti-war stance against the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, she also supports positions that are contrary to Church teaching regarding life and marriage issues," a statement posted Friday on the diocesan Web site said.

Associated Press Activist Cindy Sheehan uses a megaphone during an anti-war protest outside of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., on Jan. 16. The Diocese of Scranton has barred Sheehan from speaking at an upcoming event in a church hall because of her views on abortion and gay marriage.
Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN

Sheehan was scheduled to appear April 9 at St. John the Evangelist Church hall on Fig Street in Scranton.

The diocese barred her because she supports abortion rights and gay marriage, which the Catholic Church opposes, diocesan spokesman Bill Genello said. Allowing her to appear would be inconsistent with "the teaching of the church," he said. Neither Cardinal Justin Rigali, the diocese's apostolic administrator, nor Bishop-elect Joseph C. Bambera authorized the hall's use, the Internet notice said. The diocese issued the Web site notice because its newspaper, The Catholic Light, published a brief article about her appearance Thursday.

In a telephone interview, Sheehan said the decision is hypocritical and shows the church cares more about the unborn than the born.

Joseph Rogan, president of Pax Christi of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which arranged the appearance, said the group is trying to find a new venue. As a Catholic organization, Pax Christi respects the decision, Rogan said. The hall's use was arranged through Monsignor Joseph Kelly, diocesan secretary of human services.

"None of us saw this one coming," Rogan said of the decision. "We were interested in her anti-war views."

Efforts to reach Kelly were unsuccessful.

"This is not (a) new (policy)," Genello said.

In June 2000, Bishop James C. Timlin barred Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore from speaking at Mercy Hospital because Gore supports abortion rights. In January, however, the diocese said nothing when U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, also an abortion rights supporter, spoke at Mercy Hospital on Medicare funding for local hospitals.

Genello had no explanation for the difference in application of the policy.

Sheehan, 52, gained international attention in August 2005 for camping outside President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch in protest of the war in Iraq. Her son, Casey, was killed in Iraq more than a year earlier. She has continued to protest publicly, getting arrested several times in the process. In December, she protested in Oslo, Norway, where President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize.

By telephone from her California home, Sheehan said she did not know she would speak at a Catholic church hall until she learned Thursday she was barred. She said this is the first time a diocese has banned her from speaking at a Catholic venue.

She has received awards from a Catholic organization because of her anti-war views and spoke inside a Catholic church in Columbus, Ohio, and at a Catholic church hall in Cleveland, Ohio, she said.

"Those bishops didn't make a big deal about it," she said.

Sheehan, a former Catholic parish youth minister, said she left the church years ago because of its willingness to cover up sexual abuse by priests.

"Every time the church does something like this, it enrages me because first of all I feel I've dedicated my life to peace," she said. "I don't go to my events and say, 'I'm for a woman's right to choose' or 'I'm for marriage equality.' That's not what I speak about. I speak about ending these unjust wars that killed my son."

The church has failed to "take a lead role in demanding the U.S. end its military misadventures around the world," which would be a pro-life position, she said.

"Whenever they do something like this, they just call more attention to the hypocrisy of their positions," she said. "To me, it's more like they want to protect the unborn than they want to protect the people who are already born."

Contact: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com