A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics

CCHD lashes back out at critics June 12, 2013

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has been the recipient of very heavy, and very well-earned, criticism for some time. For years now, the CCHD has funded groups that are antithetical to Catholic belief and practice. In their efforts not to relieve poverty – for the publicly stated goal is NOT to relieve the suffering of poverty – but to “empower” the poor by ostensibly giving them a political voice, the CCHD has routinely given money to groups that support abortion, contraception, homosexual simulation of marriage, and socialist views of government and economics contrary to the Doctrine of the Faith.  CCHD’s very constitution is horribly disordered, for in essence, they seek to harness those in poverty to advance a frequently radical political agenda, in essence using human beings as agitprop for left wing causes in a very utilitarian, materialist manner.  A manner quite consonant with the disordered philosophy behind communism and socialism.

So, for several years now, faithful Catholics have expressed their dismay towards, and opposition against, the CCHD.  There have been several investigations of the organization by the USCCB, and apparently last year the group came close to being either radically reorganized or de-funded.  But the progressive elements in the USCCB were able to block that, for now.  Apparently seeking to lash out at their enemies, which consist of small groups of faithful Catholics and millions of individuals, the CCHD has staged a major propaganda effort to justify their efforts and condemn their critics.  That effort was released recently by a left-friendly political group called Faith in Public Life.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, known for funding organizations that support abortion, contraception, and attacks on the family, recently had a report issued on its behalf and signed by former CCHD staff members.

The report titled, “Be Not Afraid” claims that in order to continue the mission of social justice organizations that support the murder of babies in the womb, support contraception and the redefinition of marriage, they must and will continue to be given Catholic money.

This report is stunning in its ability to completely ignore the mass murder of children in the womb and its attempt to blame Catholics, who defend the right to life for all of God’s children, as lacking charity.

This report is an attempt to convince Catholics they should “Be not Afraid” to support groups that promote the culture of death as long as these groups are doing some kind of “social justice” work. [Which work, on behalf of almost exclusively far-left organizations, is most often extremely difficult to reconcile with the traditional doctrine of the Faith.]

In this report Bishop Robert Vasa is attacked for not helping the poor enough and the atheist radical Saul Alinsky is held up as a model of living the social justice message. [Big surprise, there, they attack one of the most orthodox bishops and hold up an amoral radical as a beacon of light]

In the past, the Catholic Campaign for human Development has given tens of millions of dollars to groups that attack human life and based on this report it appears that they will continue to do so.

I am surprised they are so bold.  The report – really little more than a press release – was signed by a number of former CCHD staffers and long retired progressive bishops. It is very rare for bishops to attack each other publicly, but that is exactly what is occurring here, since a number of dioceses have refused to take up the CCHD collection under the direction of their local ordinary.  The entire thing is in very bad taste, and either demonstrates some renewed support which is making them feel more bold, or is a desperate measure taken by an organization on the way out.  I do know that CCHD donations have declined for a number of years, although they sort of leveled off last year.

I, for one, have always supported the Reform CCHD Now coalition, but I really don’t think reform goes far enough. I have always believed this organization to be misbegotten in its very inception, and I believe it should be suppressed.

I have to note with dismay that Dallas is one of the dioceses that takes up a collection for USCCB, along with, I believe, every other diocese in the state.  If you oppose that collection, you might feel moved to let your bishop know.