On Tuesday, July 15th, yet another Catholic priest was arrested for his activities at the illegal Harbord Street abortuary. Father Giovanni, a parish priest from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Labrador City, Newfoundland, was charged with trespassing when he followed a client into the abortuary and made his way up to the second floor.
When he refused to leave and insisted on counseling patients, police were immediately called in to make the arrest.
The incident marks one of several occasions in which clergy of various denominations have been charged for demonstrating against the illegal facility.
However, unlike previous cases in which a conviction was obtained, Father Giovanni incurred no penalty whatsoever for his actions. After indicating that he would not sign any conditions of bail or pay any fine, the Judge simply handed down a suspended sentence, allowing Father Giovanni to go free. .
The decision comes as a surprise given that Father Ted Colleton, who was convicted of the same offence in May of this year, was fined $100. Father Colleton is refusing to pay the fine, thus placing the Courts in the embarrassing position of either backing down altogether or issuing a jail sentence.
The decision not to sentence Fr. Giovanni neatly avoids yet another potentially embarrassing situation. It should also confirm the suspicions of many pro-lifers, that the courts do not want to create another martyr.
