On November 22, thousands of Catholic congregations throughout the United States will be asked to contribute to an additional collection besides the normal Sunday collection. This annual appeal for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development is sponsored by the US Council of Catholic Bishops to what has been described as the root causes of poverty and inequality in the United States.
In a press release, American Life League, Human Life International and the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry – which are joined in the Reform CCHD – say that the CCHD has funneled at least $1.3 million to “groups opposing Catholic Church teaching.” According to the coalition, these organizations promote abortion, homosexual marriage, birth control and sex education. Even so, the CCHD describes itself as the “domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops.”
The coalition notes that 31 organizations partnered with the Center for Community Change, “a politically radical, anti-life, pro-homosexualist organization” whose board members include Heather Booth, former consultant for the National Organization for Women and Sara Gould, President and CEO of pro-abortion Ms. Foundation for Women. According to the coalition, through its "Generation Change" program the CCC trains and develops staff as "community organizers" for their partner groups. The CCC provides a resource library with books promoting "’reproductive freedom and its Movement Vision Lab’" equates access to abortion and "’reproductive justice’" with seeking criminal justice. According to the CCC, the project aims to build a "progressive movement" with a "coherent, compelling, shared vision — one that represents our values and dreams for society."
“The connection is undeniable. There is no excuse for Catholic donations going towards organizations trained and supported by groups diametrically opposed to the Church,” said Michael Hichborn, lead researcher into the CCHD for the American Life League. “Until the CCHD proves grantees do not affiliate with those who attack Church teaching, the CCHD should not receive a single dime.”
The CCHD annually collects between $7-9 million from parishes across the country. This money is then redistributed to “community-controlled, self-help organizations and through transformative education,” according to the CCHD web site.
Since the coalition began its investigations at least two dioceses, Allentown and Madison, have publicly announced they will not be participating in the Nov. 22 collection. Gamaliel, one of the CCHD grantees partnered with the CCC, reports that five diocese have backed out of this year's CCHD collection.
For his part, Bishop Roger Morin of Biloxi Mississippi says that criticisms of the CCHD by fellow Catholics are “outrageous” even while he admitted on the USCCB that the bishops have de-funded some of its grantees.
RSS