OTTAWA, Dec 20 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As LifeSite reported Friday, Fr. Tony Van Hee, a pro-life Catholic priest who has for the past ten years quietly and peacefully picketed, prayed and fasted outside the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa was harassed by gay MP Svend Robinson, a politician known for his aggressive promotion of euthanasia and homosexuality.
LifeSite interviewed Fr. Van Hee and has learned that the altercations with Robinson began November 30 and thus not in the last week as LifeSite had reported. Among seven signs on display that day, one read “Homosexuality – objective disorder tending to deviant acts,” a sign based on Vatican documents.
The sign had been on display since the 1996 debate around bill C-33 involving adding the term “sexual orientation” to the human rights code. Fr. Van Hee told LifeSite that Svend came up to him and said “I’m a homosexual. I’m not deviant” and called the sign “unacceptable.”
“Are you going to take it down?” Robinson demanded and threatened to and did see the Sergeant-at-Arms to have it removed. Fr. Van Hee decided to remove the sign as he did not want to offend anyone and his only purpose for the sign was to witness to the truth.
A second incident occurred on December 7 where a more agitated Robinson approached Fr. Van Hee saying “You haven’t learned anything from the Sergeant-at-Arms.” On display this time among his pro-life signs was one that read, – “Sexual orientation. Defeat of reason.
Protecting disorder.”“Are you going to take that sign down?,” Robinson demanded.
Fr. replied “are you going to be open to the truth?” They both repeated their statements to each other three times. Robinson stated “You’ve been here long enough”, indicating he was going to try to have Fr. removed from the Hill.
Robinson then moved toward the sign saying “I’ll take it down for you”. He tried unsuccessfully to crush the sign and then threw it over the wall behind Fr.Van Hee.
Fr. discussed the matter with the RCMP police who were nearby and wrote complaint. However, he was eventually advised that the Ottawa police have jurisdiction over this incident and no further action has been taken to date.
Later that same day, the RCMP photographed Fr. Van Hee’s signs, a move some suspect is related to Robinson’s efforts to evict the priest from the Hill.