By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 4, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Former Washington, D.C. mayor Anthony Williams is currently undergoing formation in the order of the Knights of Malta, one of the Catholic Church’s oldest and most prestigious organizations, despite his record of supporting unlimited abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
Williams was mayor of DC from January 1999 until January 2007. During his 1998 mayoral election campaign, he responded to a Planned Parenthood questionnaire: “I support choice. The private decision about whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is best left to a woman, her physician, and any family and friends that she chooses to look to for support. It is not an area for government intrusion.”
When asked, “What is your position on a ban or other restrictions that would limit access to safe and medically necessary methods of abortion?” Williams answered: “We will not go back to the days of women dying from back-alley abortions. I do not support limiting access to safe and medically necessary methods of abortion.”
He also indicated he opposed parental notification laws for minors seeking abortion.
In a similar questionnaire from the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, on the topic of homosexual legislation, Williams said he supported same-sex “marriage” legislation and opposed federal legislation upholding the traditional definition of marriage. He also flaunted, “As a candidate, I was one of the first to express my support for same-sex marriage,” and stated his support for homosexual adoption.
“If a bill on same sex marriage were to come to me as Mayor to sign, I would sign it,” Williams told a Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance questionnaire. He also stated his support for legislation “that will guarantee that no future Mayor can disregard the needs of the GLBT community.”
The Order of Malta, a nearly 1,000-year-old Catholic order of high prestige, states on its website that “The Order of Malta remains true to its inspiring principles … defense of the Faith and assistance to the poor and the suffering,” and that “Members of the Order seek to glorify God through their work with the poor and the sick and their witness of the Catholic faith.”
The site also acknowledges that applicants are required to be “in good standing with the Church.”
A representative of the U.S. branch of the Knights of Malta confirmed to LifeSiteNews.com that Williams “has submitted an application and he’s going forward with the formation process,” after which the application is sent on to Rome for final approval.
The representative refused to comment on Williams’ background.
To contact the U.S. Knights of Malta:
1730 M. Street, NW, Suite 403
Washington, DC 20036
202-331-2494 – Phone
202-331-1149 – Fax
Contact form on website:
https://www.orderofmalta-federal.org/main.asp?page=937
The Knights may also be contacted at headquarters in Rome:
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Magistral Palace
Via Condotti, 68 – 00187 Rome – Italy
Tel. +39.06.67581.1
Fax +39.06.6797.202
email: [email protected]