Contact: Jeff Field, Director of Communications, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, catalyst@catholicleague.org 

NEW YORK, April 23 /Standard Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a story in today's New York Times about a case of alleged sexual abuse committed by a Chilean priest:

If a 17-year old guy has sex with an older guy for twenty years, and continues to have sex with him at the age of 38--while he is married with children--is there anyone who would believe his claim that he was sexually abused? The answer is yes: the New York Times would. That's exactly what happened in the case described in today's newspaper involving a homosexual affair between Chilean priest Fr. Fernando Karadima, now 79, and Dr. James Hamilton, now 44.

Why would the New York Times try to sell this so-called abuse story with a straight face? For two reasons: it wallows in stories designed to weaken the moral authority of the Catholic Church, and it is so gay-friendly as to be gay-crazy.

According to the Times, it all started with a kiss. Let me be very clear about this: if some guy tried to kiss me when I was 17, I would have flattened him. I most certainly would not go on a retreat with the so-called abuser, unless, of course, I liked it. Indeed, Hamilton liked it so much he went back for more--20 years more. Even after he got married, he couldn't resist going back for more.

So what about the priest? He is a disgrace. Throw the book at him for all I care. But let's not be fooled into thinking that Dr. Hamilton is a victim. The real news story here is not another case of homosexual molestation, it's the political motivation of the New York Times.

Contact executive editor Bill Keller: executive-editor@nytimes.com