c. 2005 Religion News Service

Government Support of Private Schools After Katrina Draws Mixed Reviews

(RNS) An effort to direct taxpayer dollars to pay for private _ and sometimes religious _ school tuition as part of the recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina has prompted praise and criticism from organizations with views about vouchers.

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed that up to $1.9 billion be dispersed to public schools that have enrolled at least 10 students from the region hit by the storm, as well as up to $488 million to help families whose children are attending private schools.

The Rev. William Maestri, school superintendent for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, said that the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina should change the way people think about how to pay for education.

“The question can no longer be who is providing the education,” said Maestri, who has been a prominent supporter of school vouchers for the past few years.

Leaders of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America wrote to members of the Senate subcommittee on education and early childhood development to show their support for government assistance that would reimburse schools that have taken in students displaced by Katrina.

“We strongly reject any suggestion that such assistance should be withheld from, and thus discriminate against, students who were displaced from or have been taken in by Jewish and other non-public parochial schools,” wrote officers of the Washington-based organization’s Institute for Public Affairs.

Sister Glenn Anne McPhee, secretary for education of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, agreed.

“Denying educational aid to victims of Katrina because they attended Catholic schools is like denying home repair assistance to anyone who is not in public housing,” she said in a statement.

But People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group that has long opposed voucher programs, criticized the proposal to spend government money on private schools.

“It makes no sense to divert funds from public schools that are enrolling hurricane victims, just to make President Bush’s far-right political backers happy,” said Ralph Neas, president of the Washington-based organization, in a statement. “This is bad policy, and it is playing politics with people’s lives.”

_ Laura Maggi and Adelle M. Banks

Grand Jury Issues Scathing Report Regarding Philadelphia Cardinals

(RNS) Philadelphia’s two most recent cardinals came under blistering criticism in a grand jury report released Wednesday (Sept. 21), but prosecutors said limitations in state law prohibit charges from being filed.

Cardinal John Krol, who served from 1961 to 1988, and Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, who succeeded him until he retired in 2003, were accused of leaving known abusers in their pulpits or having “recycled” them without notifying parishioners of allegations against them.

The grand jury report said the two cardinals “excused and enabled the abuse,” and said the church’s handling of the abuse cases “was at least as immoral as the abuse itself.”

Krol died in 1996, and Bevilacqua is retired. District Attorney Lynne Abraham, who convened the grand jury in 2002, said charges would not be filed because the statute of limitations in the cases had expired. Gaps in state law also prevent criminal charges against the unincorporated archdiocese.

Philadelphia’s current archbishop, Cardinal Justin Rigali, called the 418-page report “very painful to read,” but defended the church’s handling of abuse cases, as well as Krol’s and Bevilacqua’s actions.

“The view of Cardinal Bevilacqua is so distorted and so unfair that those who knew him or were influenced by his ministry cannot help but be offended,” the archdiocese said in a 73-page response.

The report documented abuse committed by at least 63 priests against “hundreds” of children, including an 11-year-old girl who was raped by a priest who then took her for an abortion.

“We are left then with what we consider a travesty of justice: a multitude of crimes for which no one can be held criminally accountable,” the report said.

William Donohue, president of the conservative, New York-based Catholic League, accused Abraham of embarking on a three-year “fanatical crusade” that came up empty. But church reformers said the report points to the need for greater accountability among church leaders.

“The grand jury report documents what we have long known _ a widespread and extensive cover-up of sexual abuse,” said Jim Post, president of Boston-based Voice of the Faithful. “… Catholics cannot have accountability in our church without the commitment of its leaders.”

_ Kevin Eckstrom

ACLU to Defend Third-Grader Not Allowed to Choose Religious Song

(RNS) The American Civil Liberties Union is taking up the cause of a New Jersey elementary school pupil who sued over her right to sing a religious song at a talent show.

“We are getting involved because we believe it is important to support this second-grader, and individual religious expression in general,” said Ed Barocas, legal director for the New Jersey ACLU chapter.

The ACLU filed a motion Monday (Sept. 19) in federal court in Trenton asking to enter the case as a friend of the court, saying the free-speech rights of Olivia Turton, now a third-grader, need to be protected.

Olivia’s parents, Maryann and Robert Turton of Frenchtown, sued the district after officials refused to let her sing a religious pop song titled “Awesome God” at a talent show sponsored by the Frenchtown Elementary School on a Friday night in May.

School board attorney Russell Weiss said Tuesday (Sept. 20) he was unaware of the ACLU’s intervention. “The board’s position (in answer to the lawsuit) is the student’s rights were not violated,” Weiss said.

Principal Joyce Brennan has said the song was struck from the list of acts because of its overtly religious lyrics, which she contended bordered on proselytizing and were inappropriate for a school-run event.

The Turtons are being represented by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, a legal advocacy group that takes on issues of religious expression. They argued in their lawsuit that even though the show is over (their daughter sang a different number, from “Annie”), they want to protect her future rights.

“The main point now is to make a positive difference for the future,” said Maryann Turton, who has three children.

Alliance Defense Fund attorney Jeremy Tedesco knew of the ACLU’s support, but said that he found it surprising.

“Typically they are anti-religious speech in the public square,” he said. “But we do appreciate their support in the case.”

As a friend of the court, Barocas said the ACLU would have the opportunity to make arguments on the Turtons’ behalf. Friend-of-the-court briefs typically are filed by third parties that believe the court’s decision would affect their interests.

“I don’t see it as a very complex case,” Barocas said. “Because the school permitted students to select their own songs, so long as they were G-rated, the school should not be permitted to prohibit the student from singing about a particular subject of her choice, that choice being religious.”

The New Jersey ACLU chapter has taken on about 51 cases since January 2004, acting directly as attorney in two-thirds of those cases and filing friend-of-the-court briefs in others. Barocas said it did not attempt to represent the Turtons because they had counsel when the ACLU learned of the case.

_ Bev McCarron

Christian Coalition Names Publisher, 34, as Executive Director

(RNS) The Christian Coalition has chosen a young Christian publisher to head its daily operations, hoping to boost its influence by appealing to a broader, younger base.

The Christian Coalition of America named Jason Christy, 34-year-old publisher of the conservative Church Report magazine for pastors, as its new executive director. Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson founded the group in 1989, after his failed presidential bid. Once a political powerhouse in conservative circles, it has lost clout in recent years.

Christy’s first priority will be to build an advisory board of “Christians from different walks of life,” including younger Christians.

“That is one area in which I’m going to expect a tremendous amount of growth,” said Christy, a Lutheran from Arizona who sports an orange dress shirt and hipster glasses in his publicity photo.

“Then,” he said, “begin to push the agenda.” Promoting a “culture of life” and opposing stem-cell research and same-sex marriage are at the top of his list.

The Christian Coalition is known for its massive, grass-roots voter guide mailings to promote conservative candidates. The Washington-based organization has recently suffered from financial troubles and, many say, lack of focused leadership since political powerhouse Ralph Reed resigned as executive director in 1997.

Christy will work with Coalition President Roberta Combs, a political lobbyist who is said to have the ear of President Bush and his adviser, Karl Rove.

Combs became president when Robertson stepped down in 2002. She will continue her work on Capitol Hill, Christy said, while he will focus on day-to-day operations and constituency building.

For his advisory board, Christy said he plans to reach out to CEOs and celebrities, among others.

“Hollywood types are important,” said Christy. “They bring their own PR with them.”

Christy’s magazine, The Church Report, boasts a circulation of 40,000, a Web blog and features like “most ridiculous news item of the month.” This media experience will be helpful, he said, in calling young Christians to action.

Speaking of his three young nephews, Christy said, “I don’t want to see a day when they ask why my nephew’s classmate has two dads. I don’t want to see another Terry Schiavo.”

“There are too many secularists,” he said, “looking to create a mind-set of relativity _ that anything goes.”

_ Nicole LaRosa

Quote of the Day: Fellowship of Christian Athletes Executive Dan Britton

“The landscape of sports is so crazy _ parents beating up coaches, NBA players going into the stands, baseball players getting traded halfway through the season. A wooden bat and a leather ball make a horrible god. We say, let’s go to the Bible.”

_ Dan Britton, Fellowship of Christian Athletes vice president, linking a change in athletic culture to a trend toward spirituality among athletes. He was quoted in the Washington Post.

MO/PH END RNS