TORONTO, April 1, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) expressed its support for Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary Thursday, in the human rights complaint launched against him in Alberta. Calgarians Carol Johnson and Norman Greenfield filed the complaints with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission after Bishop Henry’s pastoral letter condemning same-sex “marriage” was republished on LifeSiteNews.com and in the Calgary Sun newspaper in January.
Commenting on the case, League President Phil Horgan said, “This action strikes at the core of freedom of speech and freedom of religion guaranteed to all Canadians in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bishop Henry’s remarks were completely consistent with a Church leader fulfilling his teaching function. Homosexual practices, adultery, prostitution, and pornography are all sinful acts in the teachings of the Church.”
“In fact, Bishop Henry has personally been the subject of the state’s coercive power, starting when an official of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency threatened to challenge the charitable status of the Diocese,” Horgan continued. “A bishop has every right to raise concerns on matters directly related to the teachings of the Catholic Church, as many of our bishops are currently doing in the public debate on marriage and family.”
Horgan highlighted that attacks originating from homosexual activists often targeted Church leaders personally. “On the other hand, there have been numerous and extreme insults against the Church and individual Church leaders in the publications and websites of many of Canada’s gay advocacy organizations, who have described the Church as a ‘vile religion’ which should be ‘purged,’ and have characterized its leaders as bigots. It appears that our fears of future persecution arising from adhering to a traditional understanding of morality are being realized,” he added.
At a press conference Wednesday, Bishop Henry said, “I resent the tactics to try to get me to keep quiet. I think I’m being intimidated. I know I’ve had some threats against me. I regard this as a kind of harassment. Any time you stand up and talk about objective morality, that’s inflammatory for some people. I’m not into trying to be popular. If you hurt people in the process, I’m sorry,” he said.
Bishop Henry warned that homosexual activists should be careful of their own comments, that it not amount to hate speech. Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE) spokesman Stephen Lock referred to Bishop Henry a “fascist” in a Calgary Herald news story in January.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Despite Lawsuits Bishop Henry Refusing to Back Down ‘One Iota’ on Homosexual “Marriage”
Human Rights Complaint Filed Against Catholic Bishop for Defence of Traditional Marriage
tv