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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

JULY/AUGUST 2000 LITTLE NOTES

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Steir's defense lawyer told the judge that his client "was not prepared to go to jail". He then added that "in my 28 years of practice [of law] I have never seen this."

Steir supporter Eileen Schnitger of Women's Health Specialists said that she was "appalled and disgusted. I don't think jail is warranted. I wasn't expecting this at all. He lives in San Francisco; he doesn't have the opportunity to say goodbye to his family. He's not a threat to to anyone. Removing him to jail is unnecessary." Schnitger said that the judge's sentencing sets a "dangerous precedent. We are already seeing fewer and fewer providers."

Jack Golan, editor of an Internet site (Lektric.com) that has followed the Steir story extensively, said "The only disappointment is that the law says that killing a black single mother need only disrupt your life for six months".


THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE announced in a June 22 story that the notorious abortionist, Nicholas Braemer, has surrendered his medical license.The California Life Coalition, which has been picketing Braemer's Chula Vista mill for over a year, is calling for the state to close all Braemer clinics (he is involved in at least eight in Southern California).

Other Braemer abortionists include Mohamed Dia, who was forced to surrender his license in September, 1999, due to malpractice charges, and Laurence Reich, who was convicted of sexual assaulting his patients in the 80s. Eighty-year-old abortionist Phillip Rand, who practices at Braemer's Clinica Medica Para La Mujer De Hoy in Chula Vista, has been sued over 30 times and was disciplined by the Medical Board of California last year.


GARY CASS, Grossmont Union High School District Trustee, wrote an op-ed piece for the East County Californian on May 20, including the following:

"A recent article was published favoring the ongoing efforts of Camp Mini Town, sponsored by the liberal, left wing religious organization, the National Conference of Community and Justice (NCCJ), formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In public testimony they assured the Grossmont School Board that even though they had changed their name, their philosophy was consistent with the past. I want to relate my experience with the religious left who wants to indoctrinate the youth of East County with their brand of political correctness and moral relativism.

"...Mini Town's policies undermine parental authority. Take for example the policy, 'What is said on the mountain stays on the mountain.' Why are the conversations between minors and strangers that are very personal kept from parents? I have spoken to parents who have been shocked by the indoctrination of their children. For instance, there is the mom who found after the fact that her daughter was the victim of a very frank and affirming discussion about the acceptability of homosexuality. There is the Lemon Grove School District student who reluctantly admitted in my presence to his horrified parent that they were talking about homosexuality at Camp Mini Town.

"While the NCCJ claims to be 'neutral' about everything, they are in fact committed to the normalization of sexual perversion. This begs the question: Who is running Camp Mini Town? How many counselors are practicing homosexuals? Parents beware! Interestingly, I had scheduled an appointment to meet with the leadership of the NCCJ with another East County resident but they cancelled the appointment and have not rescheduled. This makes me wonder why they are not willing to meet with a board member of a client school district.

While Camp Mini Town likes to have abstract discussions about the glories of alternative lifestyles, parents must live with the heartbreaking, real life consequences of sexual anarchy.

"...We are told again and again that we must maintain a separation between church and state. Isn't it interesting that the religious left (NCCJ) has access to our students, staff and facilities and the public coffers of the City of Santee and La Mesa?


FROM A JUNE 5 PRESS RELEASE from the California Prolife Council:

"The California Assembly passed a $100 billion dollar budget for the state of California which included approximately $35 million dollars for the direct funding of abortions. This makes California taxpayers complicit in approximately 110,000 of the nearly 300,000 babies who will be killed by abortion in California in the next year.

"Pro-life legislators attempted to remove the ability to pay for those abortions, except for those necessary to save the life of the mother, or in cases when the baby is conceived by rape or incest. (Offered by Assemblyman Bruce Thompson of Fallbrook.) Two other amendments were offered -- to require parental consent prior to a Medi-Cal funded abortion on a minor (Assemblyman George House of Hughson), and to prohibit payment for partial-birth abortions (Assemblyman Bob Margett of Arcadia). Steve Baldwin of El Cajon also offered an amendment to prohibit the use of state funds to purchase aborted embryos or fetuses or any part thereof. All four were tabled (killed) and received thirty Republican votes (except the Baldwin amendment, which received 27), and not a single Democrat vote. One Republican, Jim Cunneen, who is running for Congress in Santa Clara County, voted to table all four amendments.

"Assemblymen John Dutra and Peter Frusetta were absent. Carl Washington and Charlene Zettel did not vote on the Thompson amendment. Jack Scott did not vote on the partial-birth amendment. Marilyn Brewer, Brett Granlund and Abel Maldonado did not vote on the fetal body parts amendment.


ASSEMBLYMAN BILL CAMPBELL of Orange County made a strong pro-life statement on the floor of the assembly on June 15 during the debate on the state budget.

Excerpts: "The department of health services reports that more than 110 thousand unborn children died at the expense of more than 34.5 million tax-payer dollars in 1998. Two weeks ago members of this House offered amendments to this budget that were reasonable, and would have limited state funding for abortion.... Rejection of these amendments and the fact that this budget continues the policy of providing unrestricted funds to pay for abortion, provides no reason to believe that this budget will spend one penny less than the 34.5 million dollars spent in 1998.... There is no way I -- in good conscience -- can cast an aye vote for this budget."


ABOUT 40 PEOPLE, mostly graduate students, attended a talk on medical ethics and genetics sponsored by the UCSD Catholic Community on Wednesday, May 25. The three speakers were Lisa Mullen, genetic counselor for Scripps Clinic, UCSD professor Don Helinski (genetic research scientist), and Father Peter Abdellah, former assistant director of campus ministry at UCSD. Abdellah, who has since the talk moved to the Bay Area, was in residence at All Hallows parish to counsel people on "pastoral, spiritual ,and religious issues that may arise in genetic counseling".

Mullen and Helinski spoke first, spending most of their time outlining advances in genetic testing and research. Helinski spent considerable time explaining stem cells and its importance to advancing genetic research.

The controversy of the evening was the source for stem cells. "Toti-potent" stem cells can be redirected and developed into specific types of human tissue, but the most reliable source for these stem cells are blastocysts -- the earliest form of a human fetus. The sources for these blastocysts are aborted fetuses and in-vitro-fertilized fetuses created in laboratories -- both the result of actions condemned by the Catholic Church. Helinski asked, "Does this interfere with the sanctity of human life? How do we define a human? If you believe life begins here, then that's not the way to go."

Helinski noted that most blastocysts are provided by commercial laboratories, particularly Geron Corporation of Menlo Park. He added,"We won't see human cloning in my lifetime, but you will in many of your lifetimes. I don't think we should try, but there will be human cloning. It's bum science and a bum idea."

The last speaker was Father Abdella. Besides an MA in theology, Abdella has an MS in genetic engineering from UC Irvine. Dressed in lay clothes, Abdella passed out sheets that posed four situations of couples expecting children who were likely to have severe birth defects, all actual cases that he had counseled. "Offically, the Church says life begins at conception. For those who hold that, that can't change and isn't going to change. There are those within the Church -- I'm talking about several moral theologians -- who believe that you can distinguish and differentiate the levels of respect that are due to the fetus based somewhat on how far along it has developed. So while they say it is human life, they say that there's a difference between a seven-day-old pre-embryo and you sitting in the chairs. That's the discussion that moral theologians are having these days. Can they have that discussion? Sure they can. They need to. They need to try to articulate better and better reasoning if there is going to be a change in the Church's ultimate stance. I don't see that happening in my lifetime or yours, but it's not a moot issue. Even within the Catholic tradition, there are various frameworks for doing moral theology. I think different theologians are trying to explore ways to better understand that with a better understanding of biology."

The meeting ended in disarray; contentious questions and remarks came from the audience. One audience member complained, "I'm really disappointed with this discussion. I've heard a whole lot about biology, but very little about ethics." Another member, who claimed to be a scientist, said that, "Unfortunately, most scientists are not the most ethical people." A woman in the audience shouted, "You have no right or basis for saying that!"


FATHER FRANK PAVONE, international director of Priests for Life, spoke on May 8 with a News Notes reporter about his experience protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court during the partial-birth abortion case on April 25. That day, 22 people, including four San Diegans, were arrested under a newly-made up law for displaying pre-approved graphic posters.

"If [the court says] the Nebraska law cannot stand, then here's the approach we need to take: from now on, no pro-choice person can ever deny that that philosophy includes this horrifying procedure, and those who talk about pro-choice on our side need to be constantly talking about this procedure as an icon of what this philosophy means. We know that most of the American people are opposed to it. By standing behind this court decision, should it go the wrong way, the pro-abortion people are really showing to the nation how horrible their philosophy is, and we should never let the stigma of partial-birth abortion escape from them. If they want to wed themselves to it, then we should make it stick in such a way that it will paint the entire pro-choice philosophy, for those that might like the label, but be horrified by the procedure."

Regarding graphic posters, Fr. Pavone said, "There's no way that words alone can really convey to people how evil abortion is to the point that they will be willing to endure some sacrifice to fight against it, and so the photographic images are so important, because we've seen so many other social evils turn around because of photographic images. You know, we don't think twice these days about showing children films of the Holocaust. Or, when there are famines in other countries, we see the photos of the famines, and in many other cases as well, so it shouldn't be any different for abortion."

"It's important here that people exercise charity, first of all. The first rule is charity. Now, if we don't agree with the method or the tactics that someone in the pro-life movement is using, we're not obliged to take part in those methods and tactics, but we should first of all have solid reasons for what we are doing as opposed to what someone else may be doing. We should not criticize what someone else is doing unless those reasons are sound and we can articulate them, and we should not overstate our case.

"If somebody does not want to use a particular tactic, then let them either quietly go about the tactics that they do prefer, or at least have cogent reasons that they are willing to articulate for why they don't try any of the other tactics. But to start using labels like 'This is not Christian,' or to start making unfounded assertions .... Some people oversimplify things, and they say thing like, 'Well, if you use the graphic photos, you just make things worse; you just turn people more against the pro-life message.' Well, what kind of evidence do you have to support that statement? Certainly, some people are going to react in a hostile way; of course they will. On the other hand, you will have other people who will completely become converted and will be grateful that someone had the courage to confront them and break their denial. So, that would be my advice, and for those who do use the tactics that some of these others criticize, for them to follow the same rules, to be very respectful."


SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE Toni Atkins, a homosexual whose bid for office has been endorsed by Catholic councilman Juan Vargas, threw out the opening ball at "Bat'n Rouge II" on May 13 in Balboa Park. The purpose of the event, described on a local Southern California-based gay leathermen's e-mail list as "a baseball game that pits the Drag Queens, playing in drag, against the Leather Folks," was to benefit the Harvey Milk/Tom Homann Student Scholarship Program.


WOMEN'S RESOURCE NETWORK, established in early 1999 to raise funds for pro-life television commercials in San Diego, was named in a lawsuit filed against locals Michaeline Jenkins and Michael Fredenburg by the California Pro-Life Council, the California affiliate for National Right to Life, on February 16. According to a June 5 press release from the network, the fund-raising group was released from the suit on February 23.

The Women's Resource press release continued: "Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, CPLC demanded removal from the media project and the Association for Life [an umbrella group that founded Women's Resource Network]. WRN complied with their request, and on April 12, 2000 CPLC was officially removed from the Association for Life in San Diego.

"In a curious move a CPLC board member flew to Michigan Right to Life headquarters last month to seek the rights to the television commercials on behalf of CPLC. Michigan denied the request, explaining that if CPLC wishes to be part of the project they will need to work in unity with the others.

"Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian made attempts to mediate for the groups, but CPLC refused to cooperate. Attempts to meet with pastors and with key board members of CPLC have also been denied. A final attempt to resolve the matter between CPLC and WRN made by the United States Justice Foundation, a non-profit Christian legal group, was rebuffed early in June by CPLC Executive Director, Brian Johnston. Since all attempts at mediation have failed, WRN is forced to file its own paperwork to clear up the misunderstanding and allow the pro-life community to recover in San Diego."


SISTER JEANNINE GRAMICK spoke to a crowd of about 200 on May 1 at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Hillcrest. The evening talk was sponsored by the San Diego County Call to Action chapter. The group's June 2000 newsletter reported that Dignity San Diego "was a large supporter of this event." Along with Father Robert Nugent, Sister Gramick has been involved in controversial ministry to homosexuals since the 1970s.

The 58-year-old nun began her presentation with complaints against the procedures followed by the Church hierarchy against her and Father Nugent. The Vatican's decision in 1988 to conduct its own investigation of New Ways Ministry violated the principle of subsidiarity espoused in Catholic social teaching, Sister Gramick said, since it could have instead asked the U.S. organizations for nuns or brothers or the U.S. bishops' conference to do an investigation. Accused parties have the right to know who is bringing charges against them, said Grammick, but Cardinal Maida of Detroit told the pair that such information was confidential. Nonetheless, Father Nugent and Sister Gramick had letters "that we had gotten through other means." Among these were two letters to the Vatican from Cardinal James Hickey of Washington, DC, the first urging Vatican intervention to halt the nun's ministry to homosexuals in his archdiocese and a second alleging that the pair had not complied with his requests. On the basis of his and similar statements, the pair concluded that "it was not an investigation into the truth; it was really a politically motivated case, by one cardinal in particular." The audience snickered when she referred to Cardinal Hickey as "the chief allegator."

Sister Gramick devoted most of her talk to issues of conscience. "I must always follow conscience. That is a teaching of Vatican II -- that we will be judged according to our conscience...." (Sister Gramick did not mention the obligation that Catholics have to develop a properly formed conscience.)

She declared that most U.S. Catholic moral theologians disagree with the teaching that homosexual activity is always wrong. Several times she seemed to use the terms "the community" and "the wisdom of the community" as a replacement for "magisterium" (the Church's teaching authority).

She concluded her talk by telling how she met Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger by chance, on a plane in July 1998. She described him as "very gracious, had a great sense of humor, very kind -- I saw kindness in his eyes -- and it's my belief that he is very sincere in his job and doing things that he knows are very unpopular, but he's doing them because he is convicted of them; he is following his convictions."

According to reports later in May, Gramick has refused a formal command from her superior general to refrain from speaking or writing about homosexuality or the Vatican's ban on her ministry. In a May 26 statement she explained that she regarded her refusal to stop discussing her case as "a matter of conscience" and announced, "I choose not to collaborate in my own oppression." Unlike his female counterpart, Father Nugent announced on May 26 that he had agreed to the Vatican's request to maintain silence.


ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY in the Allred-Planned Parenthood lawsuit in early June, Planned Parenthood abortionists are paid a commission of $50 Monday through Friday and $60 on Saturdays for each first-trimester abortion. Former PP employee, Liz Obregon, told the court that on an average abortion day 26-30 abortions are performed. (So a Planned Parenthood abortionist can make between $1,300-$1,800 per day performing first-trimester abortions.)


IN THE COURSE OF COMPILING the list of local abortionists (see page 1, this issue) on June 20, a News Notes reporter called Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest at (619) 294-8111 to find out the current whereabouts of Dr. Karl L. Evelyn. Evelyn, a former abortionist still residing in San Diego County, is listed on Mercy Hospital's staff with an office at Mercy Clinic, located in the lower level of the hospital.

When asked if Evelyn still performs abortions, a Mercy Clinic receptionist said, "He only works from this location and doesn't do [abortions] any more. You should call Planned Parenthood."


CONTROVERSIAL PASTOR FRED PHELPS and members of his congregation staged anti-homosexuality pickets at the SDSU College of Education commencement on May 27 and several San Diego churches, including St. Joseph Cathedral downtown and St. Agnes parish in Point Loma, over Memorial Day weekend.

Phelps, who pastors Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, is known for his website, http://www.godhatesfags.com, and nationwide sign pickets.

In an April 25 e-mail message, SDSU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Student Union explained the reason the ceremony was being targeted by Phelps: "Why San Diego State University? Because as a part of our school's teacher education program, students are required to take a multi-cultural education class that asks them to examine their prejudices and exposes them to different cultural issues. As a part of the class, students take a few different 'cultural plunges,' including one gay plunge. An example of at [sic] cultural plunge might be to go to a gay bar or to attend an LGBT/Queer meeting or event."

During the commencement, Phelps' group displayed a black sign with red letters, patterned after SDSU's school colors, that read, "AZTEC FAGS."

On Sunday morning, May 28, the Baptists picketed six San Diego churches. Phelps said, "We were picketing the Lutheran church and noticed more people going into St. Joseph's [for the 7:30 a.m. Mass], so we went over there. Some priest walked up to us because of our sign that says, 'YOUR PASTOR IS A LIAR.' He asked, 'How did I lie?' One of our members said, 'Father, did you tell [your congregation] that fags burn in hell?' The priest said, 'I didn't get that far.' "

Phelps and at least 13 other protesters arrived outside St. Agnes parish on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. while pastor Joseph Mel Collier celebrated 10:30 a.m. Mass. Most parishioners seemed unaware of Phelps' group outside the church until prior to the end of Mass, when, according to a Mass-goer, Father Collier announced it.

Asked about the protest, associate pastor Daniel Walsh, who was watching the picket from outside the parish, said "No comment. I didn't know they would show up." He was later overheard telling other parishioners to ignore Phelps' group. Father Collier only said, "It's a free country, and there is police protection."

When asked why he had chosen to protest St. Agnes, which does not have a "gay-friendly" reputation, Phelps replied that the protest was not targeted at St. Agnes, but at "anal-copulating, Roman Catholic priests" in general. Phelps' website scores the Catholic Church because it "Permits Fags to be Members" and "Ordains Non-Practicing Fags." He cited the Kansas City Star's January 30-February 1 series titled "AIDS in the Priesthood" as partial reason for the protest.


CARDINAL FRANCIS GEORGE, archbishop of Chicago, testified before a committee of the American Medical Association on June 12. Parts of his statement:

"Through Resolution 218, the California Medical Association seeks your support for legislation to require all hospitals receiving federal funds to provide 'a full range of reproductive services,' including 'temporary or permanent birth control.' Clearly this includes requirements for contraception, sterilization and abortion with which Catholic hospitals simply cannot comply. Effectively, the American Medical Association is being asked to help abolish Catholic health care in this country.

"If there were any doubt about this, one need look no further than the documentation in the AMA briefing book provided by medical groups supporting Resolution 218 -- documentation especially from 'Catholics for a Free Choice.' This is a group with no medical expertise; indeed, a group with no relationship to the Catholic Church, except as adversary to the teaching of the Catholic faith about the gift of human sexuality.

"...As an active participant in and sponsor of the largest nonprofit healthcare network in this area, I find the quiet little note at the end of this resolution strangely naïve. It says: 'No Significant Fiscal Impact.' Does anyone really believe that driving the largest not-for-profit health care network in the nation out of business would have no significant fiscal impact? It would have a fiscal impact on for-profit health plans, which could set their own prices with less fear of competition. It would have an enormous adverse impact on some of the poorest people in our nation, who turn to Catholic health facilities to receive help in times of need regardless of their ability to pay.

"The sponsors of this resolution say it is needed because 'non-secular health systems have become the exclusive healthcare providers in some communities.' But we should stop and ask ourselves: WHY are Catholic and other 'non-secular' health systems the only providers in some communities? It is because for-profit systems see these communities as unprofitable, as a bad risk. It's because they are unable or unwilling to serve the needs of such communities. If you drive the churches out of health care by making it impossible for them to operate in accord with their ethical and religious mission, who will take care of these people? Will the National Abortion Rights Action League take care of them? Will Catholics for a Free Choice? You and I know they will not. Secularizing all healthcare institutions through state coercion is to transform this country into a totalitarian state...."


THE GREAT JUBILEE PLENARY INDULGENCE of the Year 2000 is granted for performing any of several prescribed works of charity and penitence, including making any of four types of pious pilgrimage. Two of them involve trips to Rome or the Holy Land. In dioceses, one can visit churches or other places designated by a bishop. While at the pilgrimage site, Jubilee pilgrims can choose from any of these options to gain the indulgence: 1) Take part devoutly in Mass or another liturgical celebration such as Lauds or Vespers, or 2) make some pious exercise (examples: the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, the Byzantine Rite's Akathistos Marian hymn), or 3) as a group or individually, spend some time in Eucharistic adoration and pious meditations, ending with the "Our Father," the profession of faith in any approved form (examples: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed) and prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The general conditions for receiving any plenary indulgence are the following: 1) Be baptized and not excommunicated. 2) Be a subject of the one granting the indulgence. (Since the pope grants the Jubilee Indulgence, all Catholics of any rite meet this condition.) 3) Be in the state of grace, at least when the indulgenced work is completed. 4) Detached from all sin, even venial sin, which is also a requirement for receiving absolution through sacramental reconciliation. 5) Have at least a general intention to gain a plenary indulgence. 6) Do the prescribed work. 7) Receive sacramental reconciliation. 8) Receive Holy Communion. A unique Communion is necessary for each plenary indulgence gained. 9) Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. The last three requirements may be completed several days before or after doing the indulgenced work. Plenary indulgences cannot be received more than once daily.

The following churches in the Diocese of San Diego have been designated by the bishops of Southern California as Jubilee 2000 pilgrimage sites, where the Catholic faithful can receive the special Jubilee 2000 plenary indulgence: Mission San Diego de Alcala, San Diego; St. Ephrem Mission (Maronite Rite), El Cajon; Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside; Mission San Antonio de Pala, Pala; Santa Ysabel Indian Mission, Santa Ysabel; St. Thomas Indian Mission, Winterhaven (Imperial County).

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