Thursday, November 13, 2008
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BISHOPS RE CCHD
You can also read the letter on the website of the Catholic Media Coalition.
Contact:
Mary Ann Kreitzer
Stephanie Block
540-459-9493 505-866-0977
kreitzr1@shentel.net athanasius@aol.com
OPEN LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES: REFORM THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
November 2008
Your Excellencies:
On November 5 the American people elected the most liberal candidate in the history of our country who has promised to advance abortion and same‐sex “marriage.” Sadly, his accomplishment could only be achieved with the active cooperation of millions of Catholic voters. What is particularly appalling, however, is that millions of Catholic dollars were funneled directly into liberal coffers through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The fraud and financial mismanagement of ACORN was exposed recently and we applaud the CCHD suspension of grants for that organization. However, ACORN’s behavior was longstanding and every bishop in the country received detailed information ten years ago about their problematic agenda. Yet the vetting process at CCHD was apparently so lax that this agency received millions of dollars while they were engaging in immoral actions that directly conflict with Catholic teaching. Many other grant recipients follow the same model as ACORN. The Industrial Areas Foundation, Gamaliel, PICA, and others embrace the identical immoral philosophy that fueled the ACORN scandal. Alinskyite community organizations share 30‐50% of the CCHD pie. The faithful in the pew who believe they are helping the poor actually assist groups that network with enemies of the Church using immoral tactics to force government and private organizations to embrace their questionable goals. Those goals often directly attack the family, especially its weakest members, which has a devastating impact on the poor.
We respectfully call on the Conference of Bishops to reform the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) so that it truly aids the poor instead of channeling money into liberal groups that work with those advancing abortion, same‐sex marriage, and other moral evils. It is a serious wrong that Catholics in the pew who believe their donations help the poor are unknowingly funding a leftwing liberal agenda that opposes the dignity of the human person. We respectfully suggest the following actions with regard to CCHD:
• That the CCHD grant process be frozen and 2008 grants be suspended until a complete review and overhaul of the campaign can be conducted
• That all donations be placed in safe interest‐bearing accounts during the process
• That the grant application process be thoroughly studied and new policies developed that ensure only organizations that follow Catholic moral principles, i.e., pro‐life, profamily, pro‐marriage, and pro‐biblical morality be eligible for grants
• That the principle of subsidiarity be honored in the grant process
• That ACORN, the Industrial Areas Foundation and other Alinsky‐style community organizations that follow immoral principles of action be permanently banned from receiving grants
• That groups networking and interfacing with groups that advance pro‐abortion, prohomosexual policies be permanently banned from funding
• That whenever possible Catholic organizations be given preference over secular groups
The Catholic Media Coalition has developed a DVD and brochure which may be downloaded from our website, www.catholicmediacoalition.org. Be assured of our prayers as you carry out the difficult duties of shepherding the flock.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mary Ann Kreitzer
President
• Jack Ames, Defend Life, Baltimore, MD
• Janet Baker, Faithful Catholics of MD/DC, Washington, D.C. www.restore‐dc‐catholicism.com
• Stephanie Block, Catholic Author, Albuquerque, NM, Athanasius@aol.com
• Kenneth Fisher, Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Anaheim, California crcoa@dslextreme.com
• James Fritz, Defenders of the Faith, Inc., Berkeley Springs, WV www.thedefender.org/contact.html
• Camille Giglio, California Right to Life Advocates, callifeadvocates.org/blog
• Alice Grayson, Veil of Innocence, West Falmouth, MA, www.veilofinnocence.org/index.html
• Nancy Kokstis SFO, the Shepherds Warrior, Prentice, WI, kokstis @pctcnet.net
• Mary Ann Kreitzer, Les Femmes, Woodstock, VA, www.lesfemmes‐thetruth.com
• Valerie Lubitz, President, Los Pequeños de Cristo, Albuquerque, NM, www.lospequenos.org
• Karl Maurer, Catholic Citizens of Illinois, www.catholiccitizens.org
• Kathy Parker, Brothers and Sisters at the Cross, Birmingham, Alabama
• Sheila Parkhill, The Holy Family Society of Tucson, http://hfsnews.org/
• The Orlando Truth, orlandotruth@rome.com
• Vivian Ripton, Call to Holiness, St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, New York
• Allyson Smith, Catholic Author, San Diego, CA, allysons@cox.net
• Georgene M. Sorenson, Romans in the Desert, snownomore@cox.net
• Donna Steichen, Catholic Author, Ojai, CA dmsteichen@aol.com
• Carolyn Wendell, VOCAL, Portland, OR, http://vocalblog.blogspot.com/, carolyn@vocalnews.org
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Personaly, I have refused to contribute anything to CCHD; and because it sometimes overlaps with Catholic Charities, I have refused to contribute to Catholic Charities in my diocese for several years since I discovered that abortions were being funded. These organizations need to be supporting Catholic charitable outreach, not secular outreach. They need to be supporting charities that uphold Catholic teaching. Unless these groups are reformed, it is the height of foolishness and hypocricy for a Catholic to contribute to them.
