I expect Stephen Lewis will be speaking at the Cardinal’s Dinner next year if the feel is right.

Get your cheque books out, you pro-abortionist fans – Stephen Lewis doesn’t come cheap. His fee runs from $2500 to $5000 for a one-hour talk. I heard him speak at a foundation where I am on the advisory board and he had disappeared so quickly I thought he had fallen through a hole in the floor. For the life of me, I can’t remember one thing he said, but I will admit that if rhetoric were virtue, Stephen would be a saint.

Why would any Catholic organization want to put pro-abortionist want to put pro-abortionist Stephen Lewis up on a pedestal to worship and admire? Why would Bishop Clune sanction the choice of former Ontario NDP leader Lewis as guest speaker at a teacher’s professional development day at the York Regional Roman Catholic School Board? The bishop was quoted as saying “As long as Mr. Lewis did not speak to the subject of abortion, it doesn’t matter.”

Doesn’t giving a pro-abortion speaker a mike and an audience of Catholic teachers enhance his image? Doesn’t it make his pro-abortion stance become more credible? You’ve got to be kidding.

Who will they have next? Dr. Marion Powell talking about medical ethics?

Frank Hamilton

Frank Hamilton of Richmond Hill put the matter in perspective in a great column in the Richmond Hill weekly, The Liberal (May 8, 1989). He repeated what The Interim had noted in the article “Counter-witness and Catholics,” Part I (January 1989), namely that Mr. Stephen Lewis is a committed pro-abortionist, in fact, the very first Canadian politician to seek the legalization of abortion – in the 1965 Ontario legislature. With Frank’s permission I quote form the letter published under the title “Board too tolerant of pro-choice speaker”:

“Please help me to understand the following.

“Pope John Paul II: “Abortion is an unspeakable crime against humanity.”

“Board letter: “Stephen Lewis is a ‘renowned leader’ and a ‘humanitarian’.”

“The Board did see fit in its wisdom to pay thousands of dollars to hire Mr. Lewis to speak to the teachers for one hour.

“There was some concern from parents as to how appropriate it was to have this man speak to the teachers on the subject of Human Development.” (How ironic; abortion advocate speaks on human development.)

Sanctioned

“The trustees I spoke to had not known about the situation until the approximate time I had found out. Their response to the situation was that the Bishop had sanctioned the choice of the board, ie, Dr. Avis Glaze and Mr. Frank Bobesich.

“The response of the Bishop relayed to me from his office was that he did hire Mr. Lewis; as long as Mr. Lewis did not speak on the subject of abortion it did not matter.

“The response from Mr. Bobesich’s office was that the board did not investigate the background of its speakers; and that the clergy did not disapprove of their choice.

“One trustee did tell a concerned parent that Mr. Lewis would be speaking to the teachers and therefore it should not be a concern of the parents.

“A number of teachers were also concerned and had planned to walk out of the hall to show their displeasure. Then the word came down from the office of Dr. Glaze that an alternate speaker would be provided for those who in conscience could not attend the board’s first choice.

“Students for Life did organize a demonstration to protest against the board’s choice. The students were not disruptive to traffic nor did they cause any disturbance. They were joined by some parents and other concerned people. The gathering was outside Holy Cross Roman Catholic School (Principal Mr. G. Brand). The police were called upon to deal with pro-life demonstrators outside a Roman Catholic School!

“The police were very polite and simply asked that the protestors not block the traffic and remain off the property.

“One teacher told the students to get lost. A number of them told the pro-lifers to go home. One school employee (female worker) told a protester with her children that she was a bad example to her children.

“It should be noted that Mr. Lewis has referred to those who support pro-life as having ‘primitive minds.’

“The board stated that Mr. Lewis is a ‘gifted speaker.’

“Where is our Catholic leadership? Why are we spending money to have a Catholic system? What was gained by spending thousands of dollars for one hour of this man’s time other than entertainment?”

Other organizations

Brother Anthony Canterucci, the Mission Procurator of the Society of the Precious Blood in Toronto, tried to explain why they had invited pro-abortionist Stephen Lewis as a special guest of honour at the dinner/dance they held last August. He said, “Pro-life was not an issue. Development and Third World problems was his topic. He was going to talk about Africa where he had been. It was his expertise in the field – that’s why he was here. (I guess Brother Anthony had never heard of Father Ted Colleton, who has ten times the experience of living in Africa then Stephen Lewis has and ten times the expertise as well. And would do it for a lot less than $5,000.)

Brother Anthony went on to say, “We are all pro-life. I had heard from ‘somebody’ that Mr. Lewis was not pro-abortion any longer – that his wife was.” Well, Brother Anthony, that’s certainly news to Stephen Lewis!