Reform CCHD Reps Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm on EWTN

Lifesitenews ^ | November 16, 2009 | Patrick B. Craine and Steve Jalsevac

[Pope Pius XII]

On Friday, EWTN's Raymond Arroyo hosted, on his The World Over program, representatives of Reform CCHD Now, a coalition of Catholic groups calling for reform of the USCCB's domestic anti-poverty arm, Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Arroyo and his two guests presented strong evidence that the CCHD is funding groups that are subverting Catholic teaching. The interview was aired only 9 days before American Catholics will be asked to contribute to the annual CCHD collection on November 22nd.

The effort to reform the CCHD began this year with a report in August from the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry (BVM), which revealed, in particular, that four current CCHD grantees were actively supporting abortion, contraception, and/or same-sex "marriage." While CCHD responded by defunding two of the groups, they continue to fund the others. At the beginning of this month, the Reform CCHD Now coalition formed and further evidence has since been reported of inappropriate activities by the CCHD partners.

Not long before the EWTN program, coalition member organization American Life League posted a 6 minute online video, with Michael Hichborn exposing the CCHD problems.

In the video Hichborn states that while CCHD pulled funding from just two of the offending groups, "the CCHD's explanation for continuing to fund some of these organizations is just plain bizarre." "The problem is much deeper than mere lack of oversight," he says, and explains, "the CCHD has a long history of working with and funding organizations inspired by the notorious Saul Alinsky." Hichborn mentions the radical Marxist character of Alinsky's methods and notes that the "CCHD gives over one-third of their funds to these organizations ever year."

[Pope Pius XII]

I say disband the USCCB.

[ElayneJ]

bookmark

[NYer]

On his program, EWTN's Arroyo hosted Hichborn and Rob Gasper, founder of BVM.  The two men argued their case for the needed reforms, explaining the evidence they had compiled, and even revealing some new discoveries.

At one point, Arroyo concludes: "What you have discovered is that many of these groups are actually subverting the Catholic teaching, so on one front you've got bishops trying to defend marriage in a given state, meanwhile the same conference is funding organizations that are fighting against those efforts."

Beyond the efforts of CCHD-funded groups against Catholic moral teaching, Gasper explained that many CCHD grantees do not conform to Catholic social teaching.  "We have to go back and look at the entire question of what is authentic Catholic human development," he said.  And if you're reading the recent encyclicals by Benedict XVI you see that authentic human development addresses the entirety of man, all aspects of man - his spiritual nature as well as the material side.  And so, when we see this, ... we see that ... the groups that [CCHD is] funding don't seem to have an actual authentic understanding of human development."

In light of their evidence, Arroyo also commented on CCHD's policy of not funding groups that directly serve the poor, reflecting on the extreme financial difficulties some Catholic inner city schools face while CCHD is giving money to groups that subvert Church teaching.  "I can't think of a more important, wonderful way to support the poor in a community than giving them a Catholic education, because the values and the education is being imparted to them," he said. "What better foothold on the future could we give a poor child in a community than that?"

Responding to a question from Arroyo about how they uncovered their evidence, Hichborn explained how simple it is and how this points out the problems in CCHD's screening process.  "The CCHD grants list is on their own website," he said.  Using a process identical to that which led to the discovery of many identical problems with the Canadian Bishops' Development and Peace organization, Hichborn related, "We just took a look at some of the grantees and went to their own websites to see what they're doing."

"And this is the thing that really perplexes me, because if we can just go to their own websites ... and we can find this information, why can't their screeners?" Hichborn asked.  "And the only conclusions that I can come to is either they're incompetent or they're complicit."

"That's a heavy charge," Arroyo responded, leading him to indicate that he will be pursuing this story more in the upcoming weeks, and that he would like to feature some CCHD officials as well.

Friday's The World Over video is available on the EWTN website (slower connections) until Nov. 19 or on the Reform CCHD Now website.  The section featuring Gasper and Hichborn begins at 37:00 min on the EWTN hosted version of the program.

After Nov. 19 only the audio portion of the Nov. 13 program will be available on EWTN in the World Over archives. 

A very detailed listing of the evidence uncovered thus far, including the new discoveries presented on the show, can be found on ALL's website.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner

Call for Reform of U.S. Bishops' CCHD Bolstered by New Evidence 

Coalition of Catholic Groups Calls for Massive Reform of U.S. Bishops' Social Justice Arm 

USCCB's Social Justice Arm Caught Funding Pro-Abortion/Prostitution Groups: Takes "Decisive" Action in Response 

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, boy. More stuff to stuff in my CCHD envelope instead of a check.

It ain’t gonna fit!

[Pope Pius XII]

I wish people would stop supporting this lumbering ox of an organization.

[Straight Vermonter]

Do bishops have an obligation to participate in the USCCB or can they do their own thing and deal directly with Rome?

[oldbill]

The guy in charge of the Campaign for Human Development (note: most churches are taking up the collection this Sunday) is a former Democrat staffer and Hubert Humphrey protege’. He is a far left socialist and hated George Bush. He helped distribute millions of parishioner money to ACORN.

[B-Chan]

Our parish does not contribute to the CCHD, and hasn’t for years. This is why.

[sitetest]

I think that the thing to do with the CCHD is to smother it with a pillow. Put it out of our misery.

[SevenofNine]

Hey NYER I don’t know if the reporter hear of Together in Mission that thingy that LA Archidiose has

My church help out East LA church

[baa39]

No obligation whatsoever, but plenty of peer pressure. Bishop Vasa once famously answered, when questioned how he could oppose the USCCB policy on sex-ed for Catholic children in religion classes, “I don’t report to the USCCB, I report to the Holy Father.”

The USCCB is not a governing body and has no authority over Catholics either. It’s an organization of bishops for their own purposes, it does not rule, nor do guidelines, booklets, literature, press releases, statements, or other folderol emerging from the USCCB carry any weight as Catholic doctrine or impose any obligation on the part of individual Catholics.

[baa39]

How do you get out of it B-Chan? We tried that and the Bishop and Chancellor were all over ourpriest. We officially had to take up the collection, but the priest had made his opinion clear along with a few vocal parishioners, and no one gave anything! However, we did go through all the proper motions, being told by the Bishop’s flunky this was a “mandatory” collection. So I’m curious if you just have a more lenient bishop, a more defiant priest, or perhaps you have more flexibility if you’re not a N.O. parish (such as Maronite, Byzantine, FSSP, etc), or are you all just united in not putting in a penny?

I will make my yearly pitch here, folks, if you want an “alternative” to these wacky “special collections” give your money instead to the Archdiocese for Military Services. Support our Catholic troops all over the world. They desperately need chaplains and materials. You cover God and Country in one donation.

[Straight Vermonter]

Thanks.

[baa39]

Sure. This means, for example, regardless of the USCCB overall attitude of amnesty for illegals, a layperson can be a good Catholic, in compliance with the Social Doctrine of the Church, if with a well-informed conscience he responsibly decides it is his duty as a citizen not to harbor illegals, but to report them instead to the INS.

The USCCB has some of the same functional problems as the UN. When you put everyone together, create a bureaucracy, then form committees and subcommittees to decide issues and send them back up to the main body, which votes, and invariably some are of the opposing view of the winning vote, you do not reach the pinnacle of goodness or truth or wisdom. You reach only a compromise, which hopefully contains a few flecks of those ideals, but just as likely contains bad ideas.

[TASMANIANRED]

The scourge of liberal bishops continues.

They certainly have not multiplied the talents they were entrusted.

[NYer]

Oh, boy. More stuff to stuff in my CCHD envelope instead of a check.

Actually, BellarmineVeritasMinistry has provided a slip for you to enclose in the envelope, stating why you are withholding a contribution. It is available here. You are also encouraged to read the information at this link.

Steps you can take to help this campaign.

[gitmo]

But they were awarded MFLA for this story.

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(Most Four Letter Acronyms)

[Coleus]

Reform?

the cchd needs to be abolished and the bishops should be men enough to admit that they were lax and made many mistakes...

[Tax-chick]

the bishops should be men enough to admit that they were lax and made many mistakes...

The Bishops should admit that the whole thing was a mistaken concept from the get-go.

[Coleus]

that’s better...

and they should admit that they and a majority of the priesthood are democrats.