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2000 NEWS STORIES
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ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
NEWS
MAY 2000
THOUGH HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS activists have criticized Pope John Paul for not mentioning sins against homosexuals in the Day of Pardon ceremony, March 12, the Vatican has not rushed to correct the "mistake." As reported in an April 8 Catholic World News update, the Vatican's paper, L'Osservatore Romano, in its April 7 edition, carried an article by Father Gino Concetti defending the exclusion of homosexuals from the apology. Father Concetti, the Vatican paper's theologian, wrote that though the Church has always upheld the principle of "respect for every person," this principle is not applicable to "acceptance or compromise with deviations in ethics or in behavior."
Concetti pointed out that the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is "intrinsically disordered" and "contrary to natural law." Homosexual acts, he said, quoting the Catechism, "do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved." Nevertheless, said Concetti, the Catechism teaches that homosexuals must be treated with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity.... Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."
CHUCK COLBERT, writing in the April 12, 2000 San Francisco Chronicle, praised Roger Cardinal Mahony for accommodating "gays and lesbians" in his letter of pardon. A self-described "faithful gay Catholic," Colbert is studying under the Jesuits at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachussetts, and serves on the board of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Colbert took the pope to task for a "gaping omission" because, in his apology, unlike Roger Mahony, the pope didn't apologize "to lesbians and gays." Colbert approved of Mahony's criticism of the Church for "falling into homophobia": "Mahony instituted the Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics, which operates from his offices. In his archdiocese, inattentiveness and homophobia have given way to acknowledgment and redress. Now is the acceptable time for gays in Los Angeles."
SAYING HE FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE of the Holy Father, Bishop Patrick Ziemann, in early April, expressed in his Lent 2000 letter to the Santa Rosa diocese his "most profound sorrow for the pain" he caused the diocese "both because of my failure to abide by my sacred vows and also because of my failure regarding the management of diocesan funds."
Acknowledging that the faithful of Santa Rosa diocese are "justly angry" for the current state of affairs, Bishop Ziemann asked their forgiveness. To the youth of the diocese, he wrote: "Even though I did not uphold my vows, I want you to know that I strongly believe in them, and with the help of God's grace and the advice of my counselors, I am confident that I will live up to them in the future. I urge you not to lose faith in God or in your Church because of me. You are the bright and hopeful future of the Church and I am very proud of all of you."
"To those of you who have communicated to me your love, support and willingness to forgive," wrote Ziemann, "I am deeply grateful. I know you are all living daily with the consequences of my actions, and I cannot express to you enough the deep remorse and repentance I feel for letting you down. I pray that God will heal the wounds I have caused in the Church of Santa Rosa.... Pray for me as I will for you."
SAN FRANCISCO-BASED ABORTIONIST Dr. Bruce Steir entered into a plea bargain with Riverside County prosecutors the day after his murder trial began. In what was hailed as the first criminal prosecution of an abortionist, pro-lifers had hoped that many of the abortion industry's gruesome practices would finally be put on public trial. One Sacramento based pro-lifer who had followed the case closely, said: "Unfortunately the public again will be denied an opportunity to know the sordid truth about front alley abortion mills run by people like Steir's boss Joseph Durante, Edward Allred and other greedy racist abortion baby butchers who are population control freaks."
Steir was charged with murder after the death of Sharon Hamplton in 1996. While performing a second trimester abortion, December 13, at A Lady's Choice abortion clinic in Moreno Valley (Riverside County), Steir perforated Hamptlon's uterus. "I think I pulled bowel," he purportedly told his assistant, Nancy Meyers. In spite of this, Steir finished the abortion and then flew home to San Francisco. Hamptlon had been 20 weeks pregnant.
Steir had been on probation for negligence when he killed Hamptlon. In addition, Steir had a history of cases against him stemming from his shoddy abortion practices. In a February 15, 1989 deposition, Steir admitted that he spent an average of seven seconds with each patient before performing an abortion. When attorneys asked Steir how he examined his patients, he said he reviewed their chart and greeted them, "hello, my name is Bruce and I'm here to perform your abortion. How are you?"
After her death, Hamptlon's family sued Steir for gross negligence. Jack Schuler, the Hamptlons' attorney in the wrongful death suit, said that he was happy with the trial's outcome. "I'm pleased with the victory," he said. "I'm pleased that a district attorney had enough courage to prosecute this precedent setting case. I hope that other prosecutors will not shrink from these types of prosecutions."
After Hamptlon's death, California state senator Ray Haynes (R- Temecula) introduced a bill, the Sharon Hamptlon Act, that would have imposed the same guidelines on abortion clinics that are now in place for outpatient clinics. When asked for comment on Steir's involuntary manslaughter conviction, Senator Haynes said that he was pleased with the outcome. "I think it's a big deal. From the beginning I felt that he had committed some kind of homicide." Senator Haynes told the Mission that he has met stiff opposition in Sacramento with regards to his Bill. "So far, I haven't had any success in the legislature," he said. Senator Haynes is hopeful that with Steir's conviction of involuntary manslaughter, his bill will finally receive support in the legislature. "Abortion is the only type of clinic that is exempt from these outpatient surgical clinic regulations," said Haynes. "The argument is that it would make abortion less available. My argument is that we have moved the butchers from the back alley to the front alley."
Dido Hasper of the Feminist Women's Health Center said that while she was personally glad that the ordeal was over for Steir, she was concerned that this would have a chilling effect on abortion providers. "I have very strong mixed emotions about it [the plea bargain]," she said. "I know that Dr. Steir didn't do anything wrong. I don't feel good about this decision, but I'm very happy for him to have closure on this. It's been a personal battle to fight. He has devoted most of his life in providing abortions and doesn't deserve this treatment."
"One of the ways it will affect women is that doctors will be more hesitant to perform later abortions. The doctors will face more scrutiny and be constantly attacked by anti-abortion forces," said Hasper. Hasper added that she is also concerned that Steir's plea bargain will make it even harder for women to have abortions because there will be fewer doctors willing to perform abortions.
Steir is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26 at the Riverside Superior Court house. According to his supporters, Steir may not receive any prison time but may merely receive probation, community service and possibly be placed under house arrest.
AFTER WAGING A TWO YEAR BATTLE, Catholic Health Care West has defeated an attempt by the Service Employees International Union to unionize the health care chain's employees. In a 363 to 199 vote, employees decided not to join the union. According to the Los Angeles Times, "about 30 percent of Catholic Healthcare West employees belong to unions." Joyce Hawthorne, Catholic Healthcare West's regional communications director, said: "They really misjudged the employees.... This vote showed the workers believe in the hospital and wanted to continue the direct relationship."
Lisa Hubbard countered that Catholic Healthcare West had scared employees away from joining the union, "Workers [who supported the union] are very upset and shell shocked." Hubbard added that the union believed that many of the workers were intimidated by Catholic Healthcare West, and the union may file objections.
The Service Employees International Union had gained the support of various priests and other Church leaders. In spite of the support of some clergymen, the union lost it's bid to unionize employees. A similar maneuver, to organize Catholic Healthcare workers near Sacramento, was defeated in Sacramento last January.
MONSIGNOR JAIME SOTO of the Orange diocese, according to a March 24 Los Angeles Times story, has been named auxiliary bishop in that diocese. A champion of immigrant rights, Soto has been the diocese's vicar for Latinos during the past decade. Reaction to Soto's elevation was varied. The Times article quoted the diocese of Orange's bishop, Tod Brown, as saying, "I'm going to rely on his advice, which is always up to date and very wise...." A Los Angeles archdiocesan priest, who did not want to be named, said that Soto
was "another version of [Gambino] Zavala."
Monsignor Soto came under fire last year by Latino parishioners at St. Isidore's Catholic Church in Los Alamitos. The small Latino parish was closed last year because the diocese said no Spanish-speaking priests could be found. One parishioner told the Mission that prior to his visit to tell them the church was being closed, Monsignor Soto had never been to the parish.
Frances Monaghen of the Orange County pro-life group, Helpers of God's Precious Infants, said that she was delighted with Monsignor Soto's elevation to auxiliary bishop. "He has said Mass for the Helpers for several years now; we're hoping he'll continue to say Mass for us."
A LEADER OF AN UGANDAN DOOMSDAY cult whose members committed mass suicide March 17 attended graduate school at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Dominic Kataribabo, one of six leaders of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, earned a master's degree in religious studies from Loyola Marymount. A priest, Kataribabo had been sent by his bishop in Uganda, in 1987, to study at Loyola. The university awarded Kataribabo a full scholarship under a program for third world priests.
While at Loyoa, Kataribabo lived at St. Anthony's parish rectory in El Segundo, Father Gregory Corio, Los Angeles archdiocesan spokesman, told the Times. Coiro said that the Ugandan priest was allowed to say Mass and witness marriages at St. Anthony's.
Kataribabo later joined the Ugandan priest, Father Joseph Kibwetere, founder of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, according to a Catholic World News story. Kibwetere was excommunicated by Bishop John Baptist Kakubi of Mbarara after Kibwetere claimed he had heard voices from God and refused to submit to the bishop's authority. Bishop Kakubi did not excommunicate Kataribabo and another priest colleague of Kibwetere, however, but merely suspended them for disobedience.
After January 1, 2000, the cult's date for the end of the world, came and passed, many cult members apparently began to agitate for the return of private possessions they had given over to the leaders. On March 17, hundreds of bodies were found burned to death in a church. In the days following, at least 1,000 men, women and children were discovered in mass graves at several spots throughout Uganda. Under a newly poured cement floor at Kataribabo's 10 story house, according to the Times, police found 81 bodies, along with 74 mutilated and strangled bodies in his backyard.
Though earlier reports indicated that the bodies of the cult leaders, including Kantaribabo, were found burned in the church, Ugandan authorities believe they may still be at large, and have issued search warrants for their arrest. The six leaders are charged with ten counts of murder, and may be hanged if found and convicted.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY'S campus ministry director recently said that hypocrisy in holding high moral standards is worse than homosexual life. "It is a misconception that it is a sin to be gay or lesbian," said director Fernando Moreno, conjecturing that "it is probably more sinful to wrongly judge others and/or hold them to a higher standard than we hold for ourselves."
These comments appeared in the March 15, 2000 edition of Loyola Marymount's student newspaper, Los Angeles Loyolan, not far from an open letter on Propositon 22's evil effects from university professor Bruce A. Olstad. "Look unwaveringly into our country's overflowing AIDS wards, which continue to vomit up the corpses of a generation of our gay brothers and sons because we felt they didn't matter enough to save," wrote Olstad. "Legalized discrimination like Proposition 22 creates a climate which inexorably begets further discrimination, apathy and violence. Californians must now reap the dark garden they have sown, and history will judge accordingly."
The LMU student editorial board also condemned the pro-marriage measure, saying that moral relativism should have stayed California's hand on the issue: "[W]hen personal issues enter the public arena, who is fit to judge?" they wrote.
A SENATE BILL sponsored by state senator Jackie Speier (D-Daly City), would mandate all schools, public and private, to "exclude a pupil who does not present proof of health insurance coverage unless ... the county department of health services ... waives the provisions of this section for the child." This bill, if it becomes law, could affect most California home schoolers since they teach under the private school provision of the state's education code.
In addition to mandating that all school children have health insurance in order to attend school, the senate bill will also require all hospitals to enroll all eligible newborns who do not have health insurance in either the Healthy Families or MediCal.
Diana Lightfoot, president of the National Physicians Center for Family Resources, told the Mission that she was concerned about the bill. "In some states they have used these programs to get a hold of people's medical records. For instance, in Missouri, there was one woman who did have insurance, but the hospital said that it was inadequate. The family presented proof of insurance coverage, but the hospital said that it wasn't enough. They would not let her take her newborn home because of this."
Lightfoot is currently working with California state senator Ray Haynes (R-Temecula) on issues affecting families in California. Reacting to the bill's mandate that all school children show proof of health insurance, Lightfoot countered, "this [program] would breech confidential school records. Do they have a right to check a private school's files? Who would be monitoring for compliance with the law? The State?"
ANOTHER OPPONENT OF THIS BILL is Randy Thomasson, Executive Director of the Campaign for California Families, a pro-family group in Sacramento. Thomasson said, "we believe this is an intrusive bill that pushes more government intervention on mothers and fathers. This bill is of questionable value. The government is constantly tempted into thinking it can do a better job than mothers and fathers."
Jim Davis of the Lincoln-based Family Protection Ministries agreed. "The main reason that we are worried about the bill," said Davis, "is because private schools should not be mandated by the state to monitor private family affairs." Davis said that imposing this bill's requirements on private schools would pose an undue burden on private schools, particularly the smaller ones. "It doesn't matter the size of the private school, it still impacts the school," he said.
The California Conference of Catholic Bishops has also expressed some qualified concern about the bill. Robert Teegarden, the Social Director for Education, said that the conference is concerned with the bill because it is an "unfunded mandate." "This senate bill is the kind of bill we would love to support," he said. Teegarden said that parochial school students would benefit most from this bill as they are at schools that could not otherwise afford to designate an employee who would fulfill the bill's requirement that "each governing board of the school district shall have a designated person or persons who are trained to assist parents... in both determining the pupil's eligibility for available health insurance programs for children and in applying for those programs."
Because there is no specific home schooling statute in California, home schooling is done through the private school provision of the California Education code. Thus a law that would affect any private school would also affect all home schoolers in California.
One Whittier area home schooler told the Mission that she feels this is another way for the government to intrude on the lives of families. "I'm against government regulation, it's intrusive. I don't think health care should be mandated. It's taking away from my freedom of choice" with regards to health care providers.
When questioned about the bill, Mike Ashcraft, legislative aide to Senator Jackie Speier, said that the current form of the bill is preliminary. "This [the bill's form] is to just start the dialogue. We have lots of work to do," he said.