Groups blast Peoria bishop’s remarks on Obama

April 20, 2012

The Anti-Defamation League of Chicago has called upon Bishop Daniel Jenky to apologize for stating that “Barack Obama--with his radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda--now seems intent on following a similar path” to Hitler, Stalin, and others.

Calling the Peoria bishop’s remarks “outrageous, offensive and completely over the top,” Lonnie Nasatir, the regional director of Chicago’s Anti-Defamation League, said that “the six million Jews and millions of others who perished in the Holocaust should not have their deaths at the hands of Hitler trivialized by such offensive words.”

In addition, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has called upon the Internal Revenue service to investigate the bishop for “illegal electioneering.”

“Based upon the current government’s threatened infringement upon the Church's religious exercise of its ministry, Bishop Jenky offered historical context and comparisons as a means to prevent a repetition of historical attacks upon the Catholic Church and other religions," said Patricia Gibson, chancellor of the Diocese of Peoria.

“Bishop Jenky gave several examples of times in history in which religious groups were persecuted because of what they believed,” she added. “We certainly have not reached the same level of persecution. However, history teaches us to be cautious once we start down the path of limiting religious liberty.”

 

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Further information:

• Diocese moves to clarify bishop's controversial remarks (Chicago Tribune)
• Group blasts Peoria bishop's comparison of Obama policies to Hitler, Stalin (Chicago Tribune)
• Group wants IRS to investigation Catholic Diocese of Peoria after bishop's comments (AP)
• Bishop calls for ‘heroic Catholicism,’ rips Obama’s ‘radical pro-abortion agenda’ (CWN, 4/17)