Resolving the Catholic Campaign for Human Development controversy
My inbox has been filling up this week with stories relating to the ballooning controversy over the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The most recent round of allegations have been spearheaded by the American Life League.
The fight has become especially nasty as it became focused on one person: John Carr, the Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development. Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, and many bishops have come to his defense. The CCHD is defending itself here.
[An unfortunate sideshow to this affair has been National Catholic Reporter's Joe "bishops be damned" Feurherd's ad hominem and vicious attack on Deal Hudson over the CCHD claims, which Deacon Keith Fournier handily refereed. I repeat my call for NCR to fire Feurherd, and now.]
The situation has not been helped, either, by the sensationalist reporting at RealCatholicTV.com, which in a recent report claimed that the allegations of misconduct at the CCHD was what Pope Paul VI was referring to when he warned that the “smoke of Satan has found its way into the Church” … seriously? I don’t follow RCTV directly but the American Catholic does.
Here’s my take: I think there are real problems with how the CCHD allocates its money. I must seriously question why the USCCB even needs to have such a department. There are, after all, so many excellent Catholic charities that disburse money, so I see no reason why Catholics ought to continue giving money to an organization that has now repeatedly been shown to have misused funds in the past (ACORN, for instance). And remember – these are funds that come from the pockets of Catholics in the pews.
My personal hope, at this time, is to see the CCHD not reformed, but defunded, even though I highly doubt this will happen.
Other writers who I respect still hold out hopes for reforming the CCHD. Jack Smith, for instance, at the Catholic Key writes:
“A smart and honest way forward for CCHD would be to sell itself on economic development and ditch community organizing. The dishonesty at the heart of community organizing has tarnished not only CCHD, but the moral authority of the conference itself.”
At the minimum, the CCHD knows it is being watched closely, and hopefully will make more sound decisions because of this. Defunding ACORN was a good start. I hope they will take the advice of constructive critics like Jack Smith.
And I don’t mean to disparage the efforts of the other persons who are leading the campaign to reform the CCHD. Catholics, after all, are owed transparency from the USCCB’s departments, because they are using our resources. And we are trusting the CCHD to use these resources better than we would ourselves. The reaction of the CCHD should be one of happily showing us the books (and thereby reassuring us they have nothing to hide), not recoiling and battening down the hatches.
I do hope these efforts to reform the CCHD follow some basic Catholic principles of charity: be factual, not sensationalist. Attack the abuses in the CCHD, not the Church herself. And be especially careful about publishing things that could slander real people who work in this department.
Maybe if the tempers cool a bit we’ll all succeed in a commonsense goal: ensuring that the CCHD performs a function fully in-keeping with the mission of Catholic social charity, and fully consistent with the clear directives of Catholic social teaching.
Maybe a case-by-case review of the organizations that CCHD funds would be a good start. And since we all realize there is a scarcity of resources these days, I hope CCHD errs on the side of caution in giving to only the soundest of institutions in the future.
Update – Catholic Advocate has issued a press release asking the bishops to immediately suspend all grants from the CCHD until we get to the bottom of this.
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Ref:”Defunding ACORN was a good start…”
I don’t know why it took the Church so long to figure out ACORN’s real agenda…some of us lay people knew who they were from day one!
And just as important… How any Catholic can vote for the likes of Obama is absolutely a contradiction to the basic tenets of Catholicism. When is the Church going to get back to the teachings of Pope Leo XIII?
[...] blogged about my concerns over the CCHD before. I’m happy that the diocese of Green Bay can now spend the [...]
[...] blogged about my concerns over the CCHD before. I’m happy that the diocese of Green Bay can now spend [...]
Read this about the Gamaliel Foundation:
http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/walking-the-edge-of-immorality/
[...] posted here: Resolving the Catholic Campaign for Human Development controversy … Share and [...]
The Bishops’ (USCCB relationship with the “Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR): https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/126afa2e8b079150
He also confuses Catholic theology with Milton’s Paradise Lost … so yeah.
Michael Voris ia a courageous warrior for the Truth! Watch RealCatholicTV, his correct analysis of the Catholic American scene is superb. He is the best thinker in the nation. Do not speak ill of him! I pray that his influence grows and people take it to heart, and act on it!
The link to CCHD is not defending itself in this case (Carr-CCC).
Did they remove a statement?
What do you imagine that Pope Paul VI was referring to when he warned that the “smoke of Satan has found its way into the Church” if not when Bishops, through either apathy, irresponsibility, or activism use Catholic funds to invite abortion promoters and pro-gay lifestyle speakers to conferences it sponsors or underwrites?
Many of us have been calling for this for years. I know I have been doing so since I first decided to blog over 2 years ago. Maybe we will finally get somewhere.
The problem(s) with CCHD is only the tip of the iceberg.
I would also like to defend Michael Vorlis at Real Catholic TV. When I first heard him, i was a bit shocked but then i started praying for Michael and Real Catholic TV. Because it seems to me that they are trying to uncover Satan underneath the smoke that has been hiding him sneaking into our pews. Dealing with the evil one is not pleasant work and it takes brave and committed men to do it. Bravo RealCatholicTV for standing for the truth when it is unpopular. I think if Archbishop Fulton Sheen were alive today he would not only be a major contributor to RCTV but he might even be on staff. Our society does not really listen to or heed polite, much as i wish it did.
While we’re talking about possible reforms short of eliminating CCHD, how about these:
(1) Subsidiarity: End the national CCHD and make it 100% local, to make oversight more credible.
(2) Distinguish between lay and clerical callings: Make CCHD lay-run, with no Sunday collection support. Instead, let CCHD compete for charity dollars like other Catholic organizations.
(3) The bishops should, however, continue an ethics oversight role by expressing approval or disapproval of CCHD projects; by allowing or disallowing promotion of CCHD in churches; by allowing or disallowing the use of the name “Catholic”.
Colts: 29
Saints: 34
LifeSite News has published an article:
CCHD Scandal Picks Up Steam as Bishops React
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020510.html
“…While RCN coalition members said they were pleased to hear these affirmations of Carr’s pro-life stance, they also said they were concerned with what they called “false” accusations from other officials which, they said, led even bishops to misconstrue their actions and intentions….”
“….Michael Hichborn of RCN member ALL told LSN today that, “We never once alleged that John Carr promotes abortion and homosexual agendas, and all of our public commentary verifies this…”
“…RCN told LSN that they hope to shift the focus back onto CCC and the implicated CCHD grantees, and expressed disappointment that the CCHD and USCCB staff are “skirting” the issue…”
” …Gasper said that he was “disappointed” that the “salient points” in his report have not yet been addressed yet. “Perhaps,” he said, “both Carr and McCloud’s time and energy would be better spent screening some of the organizations the USCCB cooperates with rather than responding to accusations that were never made in the first place…”
“…Responding to Bishop Murphy’s charge of ‘calumny’, Hichborn reiterated that they have not accused Carr of being pro-abortion or pro-homosexual. “So unless the bishops can find fault in our report about the Center for Community Change or the funding practices of the CCHD, they would do well to avoid such hyperbole,” he stated…”
You were very well-spoken on Hannity Friday night. That being said, You are VERY young. Experience counts; so does years of growing up Catholic with Marxist priests, nuns, and laypeople. Open your eyes before you opine. The USCCB is a disgrace,
When I give to any charitable organization I give with ‘a good heart’ and
‘hope that those in need actually get the money I send’.
I can’t watch my few dollars go through the system; all I know is Jesus asked me to give to help the poor of this world and I must have faith that much good is done despite all the controversy.
Unless you all plan to find a poor family, adopt them giving them money, food and clothing daily; we need to hope that these organizations are doing right in the name of Jesus Christ.
The reports from RealCatholicTV seem pretty convincing to me. But you can do your own investigating. For example, go to Catholic Relief Services and examine their activities. You will find they engage in political activism in support of ” Global Climate Change.” Follow the link to Gobal Climate Change under Global Poverty, under their Public Policy page. They are closely linked to the USCCB. The USCCB published a letter still on their site expressing their support for the infamous American Clean Energy and Security Act passed by the House. Personally I think Charitable organizations, especially ” Catholic ” ones and the USCCB should limit their charitable activity to hands on aid and stop all political activism not directly in defense of Traditional Moral and Spiritual Teachings of the Holy Catholic Faith. This would naturally exclude their activism, and that of their associated organizations, from being involved in the Health Care, the Climate Change debate and many others. Until the USCCB clearly undergoes some real changes I have stopped giving the CHHD, the CRS and others. I can give aid directly to those who will not be advocating for causes I disagree with.
RealCatholicTV, ron chandonia, is a shining star, a light on the darkness. And Restoration IS happening, a restoration which our Pope has been showing by his example in leading the way.
Many US Bishops have joined in this unity with the Pope but until ALL Bishops do, we will continue to lack the stronge positive influence our Lord has called the Church to have in America, for the good of society and the salvation of souls.
“By their fruits you will know them”: it is not about John Carr…See new video at
http://youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV#p/u
Caption of the Day/PPOTD
