Following on the heels of the Don Imus "nappy headed hos" comment, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an outrageously anti-catholic cartoon on April 20, 2007 depicting the subscribers to the majority opinion in the Supreme Court's recent partial birth abortion decision as miter-clad bishops. The obvious import of the cartoon is that the majority's rationale for opposing partial birth abortion stems from adherence to Catholic dogma rather than sound constitutional jurisprudence.
Is Auth really stating that "Catholics need not apply" for any future Supreme Court positions? Does the Inquirer endorse such bigotry?
The Tony Auth cartoon, which is reproduced in this blog pursuant to the "Fair Use Doctrine," is hardly an anomaly. On March 20, 2002, Auth and the Inquirer published a cartoon attacking Catholic priestly celibacy as the cause of the pedophilia scandal. Such a myopic viewpoint of a legitimate religious tradition should be condemned resolutely. Not only does it unjustly demean an entire class of dedicated clergymen, it serves no useful purpose in curing the ills of the scandal.
Again, in 1994, Auth improperly lampooned Catholics' position on abortion. He's obviously obsessed with the teachings of almost one billion Roman Catholics and their three hundred million Eastern Orthodox brethren.
Let's face it, Auth's consistent portrayal of Catholics and Catholic religious beliefs are no different from those of notorious bigot Thomas Nast, whose 1875 cartoon "The American River Ganges" is now recognized as a blatantly anti-catholic message.
I really think that its time to bid Auth a fond farewell.
