Menino says critics 'not charitable'

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday that critics campaigning to have him ousted as keynote speaker at a Catholic Charities fund-raiser next week are blinded by anger and risk weakening the Catholic Church by making it more exclusive.

''Faith, hope, and charity, that's what the church is about," the mayor said in his first public remarks on the issue since Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley announced last week he would not attend the event. ''If these people are Catholic and charitable, where does this animosity come from? They are not charitable at all. As a Catholic, I am trying to help people and give them hope every day."

Menino said discontent among Boston-area Catholics has its roots in the sexual-abuse scandal and the closings of churches and schools that followed. ''We all were angry" about these things, said Menino, who five months ago condemned the archdiocese's closing of Our Lady of the Presentation School in Brighton. ''But people make mistakes, and it needs forgiveness. We've got to get beyond it now.

''That's what we were trying to do," he said, referring to himself and O'Malley.

While Menino's efforts to relieve poverty and other urban ills are recognized by many Catholics, conservative activists have targeted him for his support for birth control, abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and other positions they say are anathema to authentic Catholics.

Carol McKinley -- a founder of Faithful Voice, an antiabortion group campaigning to have Catholic Charities disinvite Menino -- rejected Menino's contention that the effort is rooted in anger. She said the mayor's positions are contrary to church teaching.

''This is about an internal schism in our religion; Menino's comments clearly show that," McKinley said. ''He is trying to portray our efforts to preserve the tenets of our religion for our children as angry and hateful."

After pressure from activists, O'Malley announced last week that he would not attend the Catholic Charities fund-raising event. O'Malley said in a statement that his decision was in accord with a policy of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to avoid honoring or providing a platform to public officials who are in conflict with important Catholic teachings.

McKinley and other activists say O'Malley's withdrawal does not put the archbishop in compliance with the policy. They assert that Menino should be denied the Catholic Charities honor and platform altogether, something they say O'Malley could demand if he so desired.

The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts says in a memorandum posted on the Internet that the mayor is a ''supporter of the culture of death" and is involved in the ''aggressive de-Christianization of municipal government." The same memo attacks the mayor's wife for criticizing the treatment of women in Catholicism.

C.J. Doyle, executive director of the league, defended the statements last night. ''Mayor Menino has not dissented on one or two issues," Doyle said. ''He has rejected Catholic teaching across virtually the entire spectrum of social issues."

Menino said that Catholic Charities, which is the largest social-service agency in Massachusetts, is a legally separate entity from the archdiocese. He said that he was not angry at the withdrawal of O'Malley, who was ''prohibited by the bishops' council" from participating. ''I don't agree with that decision, but I respect it," Menino said. ''I like O'Malley."

It was not clear what effect the boycott campaign will have on the dinner. Menino said yesterday that ''some of my gay friends have called saying they want to buy tickets" to offset any decline and that a Boston businessman who is not gay has offered a $10,000 donation to make up for the reported withdrawal of one major donor from the event.

Archdiocesan spokesmen declined to comment yesterday, saying they would let stand the statement released last week.

Explaining his views on the relationship between his faith and his political life, Menino, who is a church-going Catholic, said that the church should teach to the faithful but should not interfere in issues that involve the civil rights of the entire population.

When the church tries to exert political pressure to bring civil policy in line with its teachings, Menino said, ''I can argue with them, and I can not respect them for those decisions."

''When the pope speaks on doctrine, that is absolute," Menino said. ''I don't think choice and gay marriage are doctrine."

Menino said that as upset as he was by the sexual abuse scandal and its aftermath, ''I still have a church and a God I believe in."

''Why do we keep going with this anger?" he said. ''None of us likes everything that goes on."