Catholic League Wants Mother Teresa Honored With Empire State Building Lights

When China got ESB action last year (AP)

The Catholic League is planning a protest at the Empire State Building, because the city's tallest skyscraper won't pay tribute to the late Mother Teresa! The group asked that the building lights be blue and white (the colors of her congregation) on the 100th anniversary of her birthday, August 26, but the building refused.

The Catholic League points out, "The same persons who chose to stiff Mother Teresa decided to honor the Chinese Communist revolution last year, even though 77 million innocent men, women and children were murdered under Mao Zedong. By contrast, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring Mother Teresa with a commemorative stamp."

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn agrees with the Catholic League and wrote a letter asking the building's management to change its mind last week. Quinn, who said that she wasn't given a good reason as to why the request was refused, told Good Day NY, "I think it would be a great thing in memory and recognition of Mother Teresa. I am Catholic, but it's not a religious thing. The reason to do it- to have the Empire State Building blue and white - is to remind people of a woman who gave her life in service."

The Catholic League's president Bill Donohue, who has been parodied on South Park, also said, "I'm digging in my heels on this one. I have bishops from across the nation and from India who are behind us to celebrate Mother Teresa."

As for the Empire State Building's lighting schedule for the next few days, today it's purple/blue/white for National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the United Nations, United Nations World Oceans Day, tomorrow it's yellow/yellow/yellow for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, on Thursday it's white (no tribute), and on Friday through the weekend it's blue/green yellow for Caribbean Week/Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on June 8, 2010 6:12 PM

Comments [rss]

dr zippy

The Catholic League is essentially one person, Donohue, whose sole purpose in life is to pretend to be outraged whenever he perceives that the church is slighted.

thefacts

Sounds like Donohue must have some Jewish DNA.

jpeditor

I'm Jewish, and ok with Donahue and the CL.

On the other hand, it sounds like you and dr. zippy the pinhead are both FOS.

thefacts

You have no sense of sarcasm, it seems,

NannyState

Oh the irony: Mother Theresa rides the biggest phallus in America.

Mr. Shankly

DP with the Sears Tower?

S.K.

What colors shall we choose for Sean Bell Memorial Day?

jpeditor

You're right, because Sean Bell was such a healer and saver of poor children.

Why don't we do it for Øbowmao? We would black, and white, AND RED!

Mordicai

Seriously?

lexicondevil

heh... damn, beat me to it SK

Dan

Building is privately owned...problem solved.

Potty Boy

Agreed. Discussion ends there.

starrygordon

We can't talk about what they do because they're "private"?

Potty Boy

I don't object to free speech (fancy that! :) but the League's pestering, post-denial, reeks of whining. And then when they organize a protest, it reeks of bullying (a la Sharpton).

juliec

Mother Theresa would be appalled by the hateful garbage the Catholic League proselytizes nowadays. And besides, she took her vow of poverty very seriously--attention was something she avoided.

Here's an idea: how about instead of staging a protest over something trivial and asinine like this, the CL uses their time and energy to promote peace, love and understanding? As Mother Theresa and Jesus Christ Himself would have done???

matty

Waits for the Christianity is bad, Islam is awesome comments from Jewish left-wingers.

ur doing it rong

so true on this web site

Mordicai

Is there a free day? Or like-- what is planned currently?

henryhamilton

She was a thug and a bully.

augDayAfternoon

A bit harsh, though I agree en masse.

I'd say she was an ambitious woman who confused ignorance with piety, and so on...

Catholic League: you already have red + green for Jesus's birthday. One messiah at a time.