Here's a follow-up to my previous post about John Carr, the U.S. Catholic bishops' director for justice, peace and human development, who responded here to "unfair allegations" today by the American Life League regarding his involvement with a group that has been linked to abortion advocacy and gay rights issues, the Center for Community Change (CCC).
In response to my questions, Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of the U.S. bishops' media relations office has:
1. CONFIRMED the American Life League's assertion that the bishop's Catholic Campaign for Human Development gave $150,000 to CCC in 2001. But it CLARIFIED that during the time he served on the CCC board, his office at the bishops' conference did not then have jurisdiction over CCHD (countrary to American Life League's claim about conflict of interest). And it says CCC has not received any funding since.
2. CLARIFIED that Carr left the CCC board in 2005 (American Life League said 2006). It said his previous work for CCC was "a few months" after leaving the Carter administration, which ended in 1981. He was part of a group trying to work with block grants. "He then went to work for the Archdiocese of Washington as Cardinal Hickey's secretary for social concerns."
3. NOTED that the pro-abortion and pro-gay-rights "activities highlighted in ALL e-mail campaign took place long after" Carr left the CCC board.
I'll keep on this and will be sure to add updates here.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Visit 
Posts
8 comments:
Tom Chabolla, who directed the CCHD until 2008 or so was also on the Center for Community Change's board starting in 2006.
First of all, thank you for uncovering the false allegations made by ALL. Shameful on their part! But I have you ask why you say you're going to "keep on this" unless you mean you're going to keep on uncovering the personal attacks made by the likes of ALL and their ilk. They give the pro-life movement such a bad name and seem to have a deep vendetta against the bishops' conference.
Here is a link to the Center for Community Change's web site that lists their current board with Tom Chabolla listed: http://www.communitychange.org/who-we-are/our-board. He was until recently the associate director of programs at the CCHD.
Instead of fixing the obvious problems that they have, I expect the CCHD to one again fall back into a reflexive defensive position; lashing out at their critics. I don't care if some of their criticism of their critics is valid; I want them to fix their own problems.
I don't trust the leadership of the CCHD and therefore no longer donate because I don't expect them to be good stewards of the donation. Quite frankly at this point I'd probably not be satisfied with anything less than a complete change of leadership.
Mr. Carr's bio indicates he "leads Catholic Bishops’ policy development and advocacy efforts on a wide range of national and global issues. He has assisted the U.S. Bishops in developing a number of major statements, including: Communities of Salt and Light, Sharing Catholic Teaching, Everyday Christianity and Faithful Citizenship.”
(source: http://www.usccb.org/comm/source/background.shtml#carr )
When our diocese encouraged us to use Faithful Citizenship in conscience formation for Catholic voting responsibility, many like me felt the document lacked emphasis on the primacy of life issues (social action issues were elevated to the same importance as abortion, euthanasia, cloning, etc.).
Last year, Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, said Faithful Citizenship “led to confusion” among the faithful and led ultimately to massive support among Catholics for Barack Obama.
(source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012805.html)
Perhaps Mr. Carr's association with that project explains this.”
It's really sad, we can't trust the Church to do the right thing with our money. Perhaps I should just give what I would give to CCHD to a bum on the street. At least he'll only spend it on booze, and not supporting abortion or homosexual marriage.
Thanks for covering this issue.
The critics are exposing some disquieting facts, and they illustrate why CCHD -- a program to fund socio-political activist projects -- really should not be undertaken in the name of the national bishops' conference.
Seeking to influence government for the sake of social justice is the responsibility of the laity, and the bishops' good name should not be used as a shield to exempt these projects from normal oversight and public discussion.
My proposal: make CCHD completely lay-run, completely local, independent of the bishops' conference and of dioceses, and let it appeal for donations like any other cause.
I read the original article and the Daily Take, and I am dismayed. I know John Carr well and I spoke to him about the article. As you reported, he resigned from the board of the Center for Community Change in 2005, and says he never encountered any pro-choice or pro-gay-marriage sentiment or activity during his years on their board -- whatever they might be saying or not saying now.
I know John to be a staunch pro-life advocate. He never gives a speech without pushing for the pro-life cause. He pressed hard for the Stupak, pro-life amendment to the health care legislation.
It's a free country and people can criticize John Carr or the Bishops Conference for things they say or do, including CCHD (though I would support them). But it is totally unfair to attack someone for a connection years ago to an organization that -- well after his departure -- has taken positions with which he never agreed.
The bottom line: if you are for big government, and the government is pro-abortion, then you effectively pro-abortion because an all-encompasing government will provide abortion if it is pro-abortion.
If you are for liberalism and act to strengthen it, you are acting to strengthen abortion and homosexual "marriage": because that's what liberalism is.
Post a Comment