I know I haven't posted here in a while, but this article got my attention. What determination this author has......What agility.......to turn Mother Teresa into a sincere, but misguided missionary.

Since it began in 1952, nearly 85,000 people have found shelter and comfort here. And 35,000 of them left this place dead.

For someone so practical it is surprising that she never questioned the Catholic dogma.

The problem, some say, was how Mother Teresa viewed the inmates. For her, everyone at Nirmal Hriday was the sick, dying or abandoned Christ. Every sore that is cleaned and every hand that is held is in fact, his.

Her critics say she saw suffering as necessary to the salvation of the soul. The goal was not to put an end to the suffering but to help the suffer find joy in it.

"If people are sick on the streets, what they need is a hospital, they don't need a group of nuns praying for them or keeping them on a bad diet," says journalist and co-producer, Hell's Angel, Tariq Ali.

Mother Teresa's critics have often questioned the source of her funding. Among them - the right-wing dictator of Haiti, Jean-Claude Duvalier, Charles Keating, who stole $252 million in the 80s Saving and Loan scandal, and British publisher Robert Maxwell, who embezzled ?450 million from his employees' pension funds.

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China’s rulers will have to be dreadfully thick not to give a favorable response to the extraordinary letter of Pope Benedict XVI pleading for the unification of China’s underground Catholic churches - some of which recognize the authority of the Vatican - and the government-approved official churches, which do not. The pope is effectively conceding the main point of the half-century-old split.

The pope still insists on the right of the Vatican to appoint bishops. China’s government, however, does not permit it and has persecuted underground churches loyal to Rome while supporting churches that accept the government’s direction.

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Outraged Catholic lawmakers in Australia yesterday rebelled against threats of retribution by the church if they vote in favour of cloning human embryos for stem cell research.

...

“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,� Labour Party MP Tony Stewart said in a radio interview. “We don’t need a religious leader telling members of parliament what should be done.�

Lawmakers have been allowed a conscience vote free of party pressure on a bill to legalise therapeutic cloning in the state after the federal government overturned a ban on the controversial scientific procedure last year.

The new law would allow excess human embryos from in-vitro fertilisation treatment to be used to create stem cells for research into fighting debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cystic fibrosis. “Cloning is not quite the same as abortion and the legislation for such a thing as cloning is different from actually performing cloning,� Pell said.

“But it is a serious moral matter and Catholic politicians who vote for this legislation must realise that their voting has consequences for their place in the life of the church.�

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We need to Pray for this guy.

An elderly bishop in China's underground Catholic church has been detained again by police, nine months after his release from their custody, a U.S.-based monitoring group said Thursday.

...

Jia, who was ordained in 1980, has been arrested at least 10 times since January 2004, according to the Kung Foundation. It said he looks after 100 handicapped orphans.

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In a sermon last week marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, he warned Catholic politicians of "the barrier such co-operation (on abortion) erects to receiving holy communion".

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Hundreds of thousands of Italians massed in Rome for a Family Day rally on May 12, demonstrating popular opposition to a government proposal that would offer legal recognition to same-sex civil unions.

Although organizers stressed that the day's rally was intended as an expression of support for the family, rather than a demonstration about any particular piece of legislation, the enormous crowd was seen-- by politicians, the media, and the participants themselves-- as a clear statement against the civil-union plan.

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Beyond mere policy, Catholic social doctrine seeks to clarify the proper order and harmony among societies, says a Catholic author and professor.

Russell Hittinger, the William K. Warren Professor of Catholic Studies and a research professor of law at the University of Tulsa, spoke Wednesday at the "Foundations of a Free Society" conference organized by the Acton Institute, held at the Pontifical Lateran University.

In this interview with ZENIT, Hittinger discusses the history of Catholic social doctrine, starting with Pope Leo XIII, up to Benedict XVI's most recent contribution to the body of knowledge in "Deus Caritas Est."

Hittinger's most recent book is "The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in a Post-Christian World."

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The effort to “bleach out God� from U.S. public life threatens to disconnect American society from its history and work against efforts to build the common good, said the Catholic archbishop of the nation’s capital.

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More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 14th:

Ninth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 13th:

Eighth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 12th:

Seventh Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God:

Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 11th:

Sixth Day

"Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence."

Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 10th:

Fifth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 9th:

Fourth Day

"Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me, I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 8th:

Third Day

"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

More information about "Divine Mercy" and Saint Faustina are at this earlier blog entry.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 7th:

Second Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

This is Good Friday, the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena

These are Jesus' words as recorded in Saint Faustina's Diary:

I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fount of My mercy, that they may draw there from strength and refreshment and whatever graces they need in the hardships of life and, especially, at the hour of death

Saint Faustina's spiritual life was based on deep humility, purity of intention, and loving obedience to the will of God in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to this sister of theirs, who had always been so cheerful and humble. She had taken deeply into her heart God's gospel command to "be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful" as well as her confessor's directive that she should act in such a way that everyone who came in contact with her would go away joyful.

The message of mercy that Saint Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; she was canonized by the Church on April 30, 2000; and her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to The Divine Mercy. She would not have been surprised, for she had been told that the message of God's mercy would spread through her writings for the great benefit of souls.

Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy. (Message to Saint Faustina from Jesus)

Novena to The Divine Mercy which Jesus instructed (Me) Sr. Faustina to write down and make before the feast of Mercy.

On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter Passion, for graces for these souls.

I answered, "Jesus, I do not know how to make this novena or which souls to bring first into Your Most Compassionate Heart. "Jesus replied that He would tell me which souls to bring each day into His Heart.

The instructions for saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are at this link.

The intentions of the Divine Mercy Novena are at this link

Intention for Today, April 6th:

First Day

"Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners,and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

The saddest part of this story, however, is that Mr. Wallis seems to have no friends who were willing to speak the truth to him about this. His parents, for example, accommodated his desire by providing the family home as a safe environment for his assignation with the prostitute. And, oh yes, the Anglican nun who runs the hospice where Mr. Wallis lives, Sister Frances Dominica, supported him in his decision. “It is not our job to make moral decisions for our guests,� says Sister Frances. “We came to the conclusion that it was our duty of care to support Nick emotionally and to help ensure his physical safety.�

A word to Sister Frances: Real nuns don’t run brothels.

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StBlogs.net would like to announce that it now offers Catholic blog hosting at no charge. Besides large storage limits and rapid, superior technical support, it prominently features content from its bloggers on its increasingly popular home page.

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Nowadays, you don't have to go to church to find a priest anymore.

You can find one, a click away.

"We are available to help people who reasonably request the sacraments," Reverend Jim Koerber told WTOC.

...

They all are resigned or retired from the Catholic church, and they are all married.

"It is not technically allowed, but it goes on regularly," Jim said." They are working actively in priestly ministry, just like me, and enjoying the heck out of it."recently, calling it a disorder that can be corrected or suppressed.

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Anti-Catholic Internet writings of two employees of former Sen. John Edwards' presidential campaign have triggered a firestorm in the online community, but the candidate said he would keep the women on his staff.

Here are some quotes from the blog entries from these two women:

Writing on the Pandagon blogsite, December 26, 2006, Amanda Marcotte wrote that "the Catholic church is not about to let something like compassion for girls get in the way of using the state as an instrument to force women to bear more tithing Catholics." On October 9, 2006, she said that "the Pope’s gotta tell women who give birth to stillborns that their babies are cast into Satan’s maw."

...or...

'On November 21, 2006, Melissa McEwan said on AlterNet that "some of Christianity’s most prominent leaders—including the Pope—regularly speak out against gay tolerance." On November 1, 2006, on her blogspot Shakespeare’s Sister, she referred to President Bush’s "wingnut Christofascist base" when lashing out against religious conservatives. On February 21, 2006, she attacked religious conservatives again, this time saying, "What don’t you lousy motherf---ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds, and our families?"

There's more, but it gets kinda adult and graphic and there might be kids reading this entry, so if you are interested in reading more excerpts from this blog, click on the article below entitled "John Edwards Tolerates Anti-Catholic Bigotry and Vulgarity".

You can read Melissa McEwan's blog here.

You can read Amanda Marcotte's blog here.

Here is an article on this entitled "Presidential candidate Edwards retains staffers responsible for anti-Catholic blog writings"

Here is an article entitled "John Edwards Tolerates Anti-Catholic Bigotry and Vulgarity"

Samantha Devine, 13, was told to remove the crucifix and chain to comply with rules at the Robert Napier School, a non-denominational mixed school, in Gillingham, Kent. Her father, Danny Devine, 30, of Canterbury Street, Gillingham, told the Medway Messenger newspaper: "It's just political correctness gone absolutely mad. It's a harmless crucifix and she wears it as a symbol of her religion.

...

Deputy head teacher Paul Jackson defended the school's stance. He said: "The school has a policy of no jewellery to be worn by any students in years seven to 10. All parents and students are aware of this.

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Another Article on this same subject

Female victims of rape will not be offered any post-intercourse contraception if they are treated at a Catholic run hospital.

The Catholic Church currently owns and runs 70 hospitals throughout Australia, both private and public, and is running them under the 80-page ethics document which forbids abortion and the morning-after pill, even for rape victims.

The decision has cause concern for many medical professionals who see the decision and practice as negligent towards women who have been attacked.

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Barely half the French population describe themselves as Catholic, according to a poll released yesterday, sparking a leading religious publication to declare France "no longer a Catholic country".

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Scientists reported Sunday they had found a plentiful source of stem cells in the fluid that cushions babies in the womb.

The announcement may make it easier to sidestep the controversy over destroying embryos for research.

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The Christian fish symbol is an ancient and sacred symbol for the persecuted Christians in the 1st century, as well as contemporary believers in Christ. But that symbol which showed that Christians identified with each other in their obedience to follow Christ is taking on a whole new meaning. The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as one of their ministries, ‘Ministry with Lesbians and Gay Catholics’ decided to make the sacred fish symbol into a rainbow fish symbol pin.

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Writing in his pastoral letter for the feast of the Epiphany, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor strongly encouraged people to return to the regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to take part in Holy Hour prayer with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

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Is contemporary just-war theory just? That's the question being asked by the Global Ethics and Religion Forum, which recently launched a study group dedicated to "Revising Just War Theory for the 21st Century." That's also the question being debated by bloggers, pundits and scholars from coast to coast as they evaluate the justness of the ongoing U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Just-war theory lays out the criteria for when (jus ad bellum) and how (jus in bello) secular rulers may appropriately use military force. Rooted in St. Augustine's theorizing over the nature of a rightly ordered state, and later refined by St. Thomas Aquinas and other natural law philosophers, just-war theory has shaped the way the church and many states evaluate armed conflict for more than a millennium.

But, with the onset of the "war on terror," a growing number of political scientists, theologians and philosophers now contend that classic just-war theory fails to account for the challenges of 21st-century warfare – challenges that include terrorism, child soldiers, torture and violence by independent militia.

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"We do it not because they're not Catholic. We do it because we are Catholic," he said.

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Ave Maria University leaders spoke out about same-sex attraction recently, calling it a disorder that can be corrected or suppressed.

Provost Joseph Fessio and President Nick Healy participated in the crafting of a statement outlining the Catholic church's teachings against same-sex attraction and sexual promiscuity during a leadership conference in Denver in October.

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A Catholic newspaper is calling for a boycott of Hell Pizza in response to a recent condom mail-out.

To promote its Lust pizza, Hell distributed 170,000 condoms, along with explicit instructions on their use, to letterboxes around the country.

This prompted hundreds of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, which ruled Hell breached standards of decency and social responsibility.

An editorial in the latest edition of NZ Catholic newspaper calls on readers to abstain from purchasing any of the items on the pizza delivery chain's menu.

The editorial said the promotion was more cynical and offensive than a TV campaign because it robbed parents of the chance to stop their children from being exposed by changing the channel.

...

"When we did research we found... it's people like the Catholic church who are giving people advice that condoms don't work in protecting you from sexual diseases and the best course is abstinence. That is a load of rubbish."

Mr MacGibbon said the company had a loyal customer base and sales wouldn't be affected by a Catholic boycott.

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