CWL, CRC, CCODP linked to antilife Women.

The endorsement of the March for Women by the Canadian Conference of Bishops (CCCB), the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC), and the Catholic Women's League is creating more difficulties than expected. As reported, the March for Women is a radical feminist enterprise. (News in Brief, Apr 00, p.30) Consequently, its literature is soaked in radical feminist ideas and language of an essentially anti-life mentality.

Aside from the CCCB and the CWL, the March is also endorsed by the Ontario Catholic Teachers union (OECTA) and by the Catholic Development and Peace Office (CCODP). The latter is listed as a "financial partner" in the "$100,000 or more" category of sponsors.

The CCCB explains that it does not endorse the feminist goals or interpretations of the terms "reproductive health" or "rights" but, needless to say, that non-endorsement is not in the literature which carries its name and those of the others as supporters.

The CWL National Council has endorsed the March as well. A letter from CWL National President Sheilah Pellerin to the diocesan presidents says: "It is our hope that this will be an all council endeavour."

But what to do about the literature? A letter from Ontario President Betty Anne Brown asks local CWL's to remove from the kits they receive from the March for Women organization the "document outlining the national demands for the March" and other materials which identify the "right to free, public abortion services." [Lifesite, April 3] Apparently it was thought that whatever the members don't know, can't hurt them.

With respect to the Canadian Organization for Development and Peace, the April edition of the pro-life monthly newspaper The Interim reports that CCODP's spokesman, Jack Panozzo, has confirmed that over the period 1997 to 2000, his organization will have donated $110,000 to this project. Development and Peace is funded by Lenten collections taken up at Sunday Masses in parishes across the country.

Criticism of CWL leaders for trying to downplay the radical feminist character of the March for Women was not well received. CWL President Pellerin was quoted as saying of Campaign Life Coalition: "They're a one issue organization. If everyone else who is against abortion doesn't agree with them--well, they're wrong" ("Campaign Life concerned with support for feminist march", Catholic Register, April 10).

It would be interesting to know just how many rank and file members of the CWL who are aware of the nature of the March for Women organization, agree with their President. The main organizer is NAC, National Action Committee, which recently acknowledged that half its activists are lesbians.

Four years ago, on May 15, 1996, the bishops' conference was criticized for giving a $2000 grant to NAC, also for a March for Women. Catholic Insight wrote an analysis, rejecting the reasons given by then General-Secretary Msgr. Doug Crosby. Our chief argument was (and is) that the anti-life, and therefore anti-Catholic, attitude of NAG is not an accident but is part of its very nature. (See "Making the building of a 'consensus' impossible", Sept. 1996, pp. 15-16).