Posted on 11/19/2008 7:37:33 AM PST by Columbo
This Sunday (Nov. 23rd) is the annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). You may have heard that the CCHD had given over a million dollars per year to ACORN, a radically leftist group which seeks the election of "progressive" anti-life politicians among other things. The CCHD says that they will no longer be giving our donations to ACORN because there was reported embezzlement by ACORN founder Wade Rathke some time ago. (see: http://www.usccb.org/cchd/ morin_acorn_report.shtml )
There is a lot of confusion about what the CCHD is, how it works and whether faithful Catholics can be sure their donations will be put to use in a way consistent with Catholic teaching.
The CCHD is a social justice group established by the US Bishops. They collect money and then farm it out to various local and national organizations throughout the US. This is absolutely a fine and legitimate thing to do. Unfortunately, the groups selected by the CCHD to be stewards of our donations include many organizations which promote either marxist socialism or anti-life/anti- church teaching. A complete list of last years grantees can be found here: http://www.usccb.org/cchd/ 2007CCHDGrantees.pdf
Some random examples:
The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center: This Seattle-based leftist Catholic group actively promotes women's ordination, radical feminism, socialism, radical environmentalism, and a disregard for Church tradition. Read the brochure for their "Northwest Catholic Women's Convocation" ( http://www.ipjc. org/women/ NWCWCRegistratio nBrochure. pdf ) and ask yourself if this is something you would like to support via your CCHD donation. Also, note that one of the featured speakers is Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson who worships God as a goddess and stated ""every aspect" of the Catholic faith "is not just tainted but perverted by the evil of patriarchy. It is not that the tradition has some problems; the tradition is the problem." (see: http://www.lifesite news.com/ ldn/2007/ nov/07111305. html)
Chinese Progressive Association: A marxist/socialist group. (listed as a "meeting ground" in the communist newsletter "Voice of Revolution" http://www.usmlo. org/arch2006/ 2006-04/VR060407 .HTM) Supports Homosexual Marriage (http://www.marriage equality. org/?page= supporters).
The Somali Action Alliance: lists both the CCHD and the very pro-abortion Women's Foundation of MN as partners. (see: http://www.somaliac tionalliance. org/news. php and http://www.wfmn. org/health. shtml)
Los Angeles chapter of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice: Chairman is Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. who in 2001 stated in a speech: "The U.S. has become the number-one enemy of peace and justice in the world today.” He regularly speaks on marxist themes and has stated “The revolution this nation needs has not yet begun.” (http://www.discover thenetworks. org/printindivid ualProfile. asp?indid= 1004)
As you can see, the removal of ACORN from the CCHD's list of organizations was only the tip of the iceberg. While there are a few praiseworthy organizations listed here and there on the list, the majority is an odd assortment of socialist organizing groups (one can spot these right away by seeing the prominent red banners and power fist salutes on their home pages) and other groups antagonistic to Church teaching, be it social or moral.
A good and simple course of action we can take is not only to with-hold our donation of money from the second collection this Sunday, but also drop a slip of paper into the basket or envelope explaining that in lieu of money you will be donating prayers for the CCHD to be given the wisdom to select better organizations for its list.
So as to not punish the good groups on the list, consider donating to them directly.
Please forward to all Catholics on your list.
Good news, any links for this?
Charleston Diocese’s collection will be directed to Catholic Charities of Charleston:
Birmingham Diocese will collect for the Church in Latin America:
Informative post: I give to the foodshelf of St. Vincent de Paul; I may just mark on a brown bag “for St. Vincent de Paul” and put a few jars of peanut butter in the bag. I’d bet that’d get their attention.
I have reasons not to look for confrontations with my Bp., but we sho' ain't donating to these irresponsible yayhoos.
My Bishop doesn’t know me from Martha Stewart, so I can expect to get a form letter in return :-). He’s very fond of form letters; we probably get 30 pieces of mail a year from the Diocese. Maybe I could offer a contribution for the postage bill!
Same here.
LOL. You wouldn't want to enable them, would you? Don't encourage them. Slip a little brochure on the paperless office into your envelope along with your offering. But don't let them have your email address.
From 1994-1997 (or so) I did a little "young adult" stuff in my parish, though I myself was already a senile adult. I STILL get young adult emails from the diocese.
I’ve been tempted to write to the Bishop and ask him to stop sending us all the reminders and thanks and stuff, but I’m afraid he’d feel obligated to write back and thank me for my thoughtful suggestion. I get the impression his mother was very strict about correspondence!
I’ve had to remind the Diocese of Tulsa that we moved several times since 2003, most recently earlier this year. “Dear Bishop Slattery, Thank you for thinking of us, but ...”
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