This Week's Rosie Award Winner: A Difficult Choice

And the winner of this week's Rosie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Anti-Catholic Commentary is:

Take your pick

This week provided a tough choice.

First there was Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who blasted the Catholic Church on the issue of condom use and otherwise mocked Catholic teachings on contraception, abortion, and premarital sex. Here's what, in any other week, would have put Miss Bundchen over the top:

Bundchen ... told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that the church's take on contraception is hopelessly outdated because it was adopted when "the women were virgins, the guys were virgins."

"Today, no one is a virgin when they get married," Bundchen said.

***
"To prohibit condoms is ridiculous, just think of all the diseases transmitted without them," Bundchen told the newspaper.

She added: "How is it possible to not want to people to use condoms and also not have abortions? It's impossible, I'm sorry."

***
Asked about abortion, she said...

"If she thinks she doesn't have the money or the emotional condition to raise a child, why should she give birth?'...

"'It's ridiculous to ban contraceptives - you only have to think of the diseases that are transmitted without them. I think it should be compulsory to use a contraceptive."

Miss Bundchen comes off even worse when you contrast her attitude to that of another Brazilian supermodel, Miss Adriana Lima, who appears to take those same Church teachings a little more seriously.

Next up is Fred Riebeling, the speaker of the legislative assembly of West Australia. In a normal week, this might have put Mr. Riebeling over the top:

An Australian lawmaker has called for a parliamentary investigation of a Catholic archbishop who warned politicians against voting to support therapeutic cloning.

Fred Riebeling, the speaker of the legislative assembly of West Australian, said that he wanted to question Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth. The archbishop had said that Catholic legislators should not receive Communion if they voted for the cloning bill.

Riebeling said that the archbishop's public statement was a threat against members of parliament. "He has said he didn't make a threat," the assembly speaker said. "I think he's the only person in Australia that doesn't think that."

Now, that's pretty bad stuff. Threatening legal sanction against a Catholic prelate - for just doing his job of informing the consciences of those voting on an important measure - pretty much qualifies as religious persecution.

However, the next example takes the prize. So, without further ado, the winner of this week's Rosie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Anti-Catholic Commentary is:

Deputy Speaker of the Australian Parliament,
Tony Stewart
Here's what put Mr. Stewart over the top:

Archbishop George Cardinal Pell, leader of the Catholic Church in Australia, told Catholic state lawmakers Tuesday that human cloning and destruction of embryos for research was a “serious moral matter” and their votes would have “consequences” for their lives in the Church.

“Maybe I'll go to Hell, but if I go to Hell I'm going to do so by saving a lot of lives, because that's what this bill is about," said Tony Stewart. "We don't need a religious leader telling members of parliament what should be done."

Dude, thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to the test. You really ought to be careful what you ask for - you just might get it. Especially when you're trying to play at being God yourself in determining which lives are worth preserving and which are not.

For all you do, Mr. Stewart, this Rosie's for you.

"Aarrrrgh! I hates Catholics!"


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
This Week's Rosie Award Winner: Rosie O'Donnell

This Week's Rosie Award Winner: Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives

Belated Rosie Award Winner for Last Week: Sen. Patrick Leahy

This Week's Rosie Award Winner: "Comedian" Billy Crystal

This Week's Rosie Award Winner: Federal District Judge Marilyn Patel

Announcing a New Major Award ...