Pro-Life Doesn't Mean Anti-Animal

Regarding “The Holocaust, Animal Rights and Abortion: PETA's Latest Display Angers Many” (April 27-May 3):

PETA does not speak for all vegetarians when it says that humans and animals are equal. Killing a human baby is worse than killing an animal. However, I do think those of us who are pro-life need to look at how we treat all of God's creatures. Billions of animals in the factory farms of America have known no other life than one of suffering and pain. All because we like the taste of meat. Meat is not necessary for our health and, according to the American Dietetic Association, can cause many diseases.

I challenge anyone who eats meat to visit the large factories where most meat and poultry comes from, or even a slaughterhouse. You will be shocked at where your dollars go every day. Anyway, vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc., are cheaper. Eat them and send your profits to the pro-life campaign.

While the pain and suffering of what animals are subject to is not on the same level as that of babies who are aborted, this doesn't make the way we are treating animals right.

CHRISTIE KELEMEN

Long Beach, California

Renovating Rochester

In “Rochester Diocese Hopes to Expand Cathedral” (Media Watch, April 27-May3) was the statement that the Rochester Diocese “said they were unaware of any lay opposition to the [renovation] project” planned for Sacred Heart Cathedral. What a glaring lie!

When parishioners voiced objections at parish-council meetings in fall 2000, they closed the meetings. The Sacred Heart Preservation Committee was formed and gathered more than 7,000 signatures against the renovation. We petitioned the city to give landmark status to the cathedral in order to preserve it and prevent destructive renovation. The diocese opposed landmark status and it was denied. We have appealed that denial and are currently involved in court proceedings over it.

In February 2001 we were filmed delivering a copy of the petition (then bearing 3,000 signatures) to the bishop's residence. At the same time, outside, the media filmed 50 people holding the 120 pages of the petition in a line running along the street. There have been numerous letters to the bishop and to the local papers opposing the project. Your own Judy Roberts even covered the controversy just a few months ago. Local investigative reporters have filed stories on it. Sacred Heart's pastor has tried to prevent the distribution of fliers that occurs after every Sunday Mass. How could anyone from the diocese say they were unaware of opposition after almost three years of battle?

Given that you yourselves covered this, how do you justify reporting the lie without challenging it? Dare we hope you will correct this failure and report the truth – that there has been strong and consistent opposition to the renovation from a majority of local Catholics? The only people who have supported it are those who were hand-picked to be on the renovation committee.

I look forward to seeing a correction in your next edition. After all, this carries national significance because Sacred Heart is the only cathedral ever assigned to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is now being considered for sainthood.

MARY E. ARAMINI, ESQ.

Rochester, New York

The Rochester Diocese Responds

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify a sentiment attributed to the diocese that claims we were not aware of any opposition to our cathedral project. Having attended press conferences and demonstrations staged by a small but very vocal group that opposes any plan to renovate Sacred Heart Cathedral, I am certainly aware of their opposition. The statement I gave to a reporter was in response to his question of whether I was aware of a petition that carried approximately 80 signatures of neighborhood residents opposed to a plan to expand parking. Until the time of our conversation, I was not. I went on to reinforce the fact that the two major neighborhood associations in that area strongly supported the cathedral project, as did the overwhelming majority of parishioners.

MICHAEL TEDESCO

Director of Communications Diocese of Rochester

Salvation and the Jews

Regarding “Papal Preacher Weighs in on U.S. Debate about Conversion of Jews” (April 20–26):

As a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith whose eyes were opened not by human testimony but by a dream, I can tell you that some powerful prayers must have been raised to heaven – whether “the Church as a whole” desires Jewish conversions or not.

As far as evangelizing the Jews is concerned, it is risky trying to convince a Jewish person that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Of those Jews who even believe in an expected Messiah, many see the messiah not as a person but as an event, i.e. the achievement of world peace. And then, how to reach Jews who aren't “religious” and barely believe in God at all? And what about those who, for historic or current reasons, have a low opinion of the Catholic Church or even some anger toward her?

Father Cantalamessa says we need to first love the Jews in order to be able to speak the sometimes harsh-sounding words of Scripture to them. However, in my opinion, prayer is a different matter altogether. Personally, I don't care if whoever prayed for my conversion loved me or hated me, or the Jewish people in general. Perhaps their motive was even not referring to forced conversions or to hostile campaigns targeting Jews for conversions but only to prayer.

In my case, the result was that God gave the grace so that today I have the joy of knowing and serving Jesus as my lord and savior, my friend and my bridegroom, and of being united with him each day at holy Mass.

So I beseech all readers to pray for conversions of Jews, Muslims and people of all faiths or of no faith – simply because the difference between life without Jesus and life with Jesus is like night and day.

MARILYN BOUSSAID

Hermosa Beach, California

Graphic Photos Get the Job Done

Susan Wills makes the statement: “I know of no prominent abortionist, clinic owner or abortion activist who was won over by intimidation or bloody fetus photos” (“A Mom's Journey to U.S. Bishops’ Office,” Inperson, April 6–12).

There is controversy over showing the gruesome details of what abortion is all about, brought about mainly by those who want to keep their heads in the sand. To many, abortion is just a word that they want to put into the back of their minds, hoping it will go away. It will not go away until decent people rise up and demand that the politicians, most of whom are being bribed by the abortion industry, vote to outlaw abortion, or they will not get their votes.

While “bloody fetus photos” may not have changed the aforementioned people, they have changed the minds of many young people, especially on college campuses.

GERARD MCEVOY

Malverne, New York

The Perils of Pagan Economics

On page 9 of the May 11–17 Register, [an oped essay titled “The Pope and St. Joseph on Wall Street"] claims that the Pope has said that a free economy is not consistent with Catholic justice. There are perils of a “culture of consumption” and “idolatry of the market.” But peril is neither failure nor injustice. It is also unclear what the author means by a “free” economy.

An economy is people doing things for each other. There can be many reasons people do things for each other, including carrot, stick, love and divine vocation. Rarely is justice the primary motivation. Justice is a social order, often an ideal social order.

The Bible teaches that only divine justice is sustainable, and it is achievable only in following Christ (e.g., Isaiah 55:8 and 1 Corinthians 4, among many others). Therefore, that economy best suited to justice is one that is most open to people responding to divine vocation and the love of God. To the extent that divine vocation has elements external to interactions solely between humans, an economy best suited to justice must also be open to such elements. I cannot imagine a better definition of a “free economy” than one that is so open.

JOSEPH D. RUDMIN

Harrisonburg, Virginia

I was so impressed with the article “The Pope and St. Joseph on Wall Street.” Please put the article on your Web site so I can forward it to my friends. Angelo Matera put into words what I have always felt need to be expressed by our clergy to American Catholics.

BUD HUSS

New York

Editor's note:It's now available. Click on the “archives” button.

Voice of the Faithful Correction

In our April 20–26 issue, a Media Watch item quoted CatholicCitizens.org's report claiming that Cardinal Francis George of Chicago was planning to meet with Voice of the Faithful. “It is simply false,” Cardinal George said of the report we quoted. He particularly objected to the suggestion that he was supportive of Voice of the Faithful. “I can't support an agenda that seems undefined,” he said. “And until they're willing to say what they're for, why would I meet with them?”

- Editor