Catholic advocates and church leaders condemned a group of abortion activists for posting pro-abortion messages on a Catholic basilica in Washington, D.C.
The incident took place late Thursday, the evening before the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., which routinely brings tens of thousands of pro-life protesters to the nation’s capital. Catholics for Choice, a progressive group that advocates for abortion and other “social justice” issues, projected pro-abortion messages on the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception during a prayer vigil to end abortion.
#CatholicsForChoice represent the MAJORITY pic.twitter.com/n3GcTSlVyp
— Kate Kelly (@Kate_Kelly_Esq) January 20, 2022
“The true voice of the church was only to be found within The Basilica of National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception last evening. There, people prayed and offered the Eucharist asking God to restore a true reverence for all human life,” said a statement by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington and chairman of the board of trustees for the basilica.
“Those whose antics projected words on the outside of the church building demonstrated by those pranks that they really are external to the church and they did so at night – John 13:30,” Gregory added, citing a passage in the Bible in which Jesus identifies Judas Iscariot as Christ’s betrayer.
“Having received the piece of bread, [Iscariot] then went out immediately. And it was night,” the verse says.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone slammed the abortion advocates’ display, calling it “diabolical” and accusing the Catholics for Choice of “attempted desecration.”
“The attempted desecration is enormous. Diabolical. Mother Mary, pray for them, now and at the hour of death. Amen,” Cordileone tweeted.
The attempted desecration is enormous. Diabolical. Mother Mary, pray for them, now and at the hour of death. Amen. https://t.co/F89HCPnHUS
— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone (@ArchCordileone) January 21, 2022
Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a statement Friday accusing Catholics for Choice of “sabotage.” Donohue said the group’s president, Jamie Manson, is “commanding a sinking ship” and using such displays as an attempt to stay relevant. Donohue also hit the media, which largely glosses over the March for Life.
“The media, which are overwhelmingly pro-abortion, ignored what happened, just as they will ignore the throngs at the March for Life. It’s who they are,” Donohue said.
Read Donohue’s complete statement below:
An anti-Catholic outfit, Catholics for Choice (CFC), did not go to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. last night to observe Catholics attending a prayer vigil ahead of today’s March for Life. No, they went to sabotage the event. They projected pro-abortion slogans on the Basilica.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, one of the leading pro-life leaders in the Catholic Church, referred to the assault as a “desecration,” further branding it as “diabolical.”
CFC is led by a lesbian activist, Jamie Manson. She is commanding a sinking ship at CFC and is trying anything to jump start it. Last year she explained her new strategy. “We have to talk back to the anti-choice movement in religious language. Because they’re using religious language.”
In other words, her idea of using religious language is to disseminate pro-abortion messages at a Catholic pro-life event. That would be like using racist language at a pro-racial justice rally. Moreover, it is not accurate to suggest that pro-life Catholics exclusively use religious language to get their point across: they also use the lexicon of biology.
CFC has no members. It is entirely funded by the pro-abortion establishment. The Ford Foundation has been its most consistent source of funding, extending back decades. It also receives huge grants from The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (Warren Buffett is a big fan of abortion), the Hewlett-Packard Foundation, and, of course, George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. Without the ruling class, CFC would fold.
The media, which are overwhelmingly pro-abortion, ignored what happened, just as they will ignore the throngs at the March for Life. It’s who they are.