Punditry

‘Letter from the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Peace and Justice and the Campaign for Human Development:

‘The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic social justice, antipoverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Its goal is to break the cycle of poverty through empowerment initiatives and justice education. Throughout its 40-year history, CCHD has given thousands of people in the Archdiocese of Chicago the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and live in dignity.

‘Recently, CCHD has come under attack from certain groups whose motivations and objectives are rooted in partisan politics, rather than faithfulness to Catholic teaching and concern for the poor.

Well not exactly. The criticism about CCHD had almost entirely come from Catholics faithful to the Magisterium upset about money supporting organizations which have a dim view of actual Catholic teaching. The criticism has not been coming from any political groups, but individuals consisting of Catholic bloggers and others. The fact that the Democratic party is so-linked with the Culture of Death and thus any criticism gets linked linked to partisanship instead of faithfulness to the Church and her mission. It is our faithfulness to Catholic teaching that makes us upset when CCHD funds go to organizations supporting abortion, contraceptions, and homosexual acts. We want money to actually go to the poor and not groups that will used it for culture of death advocacy. We have an equal love for the poor and it is quite uncharitable of you to assume we don’t and to frame our faithfulness to Church teaching as playing politics.

These groups have gone so far as to call for the elimination of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, making erroneous and inflammatory statements about the program, its supporters, and the projects it funds. Despite efforts on the part of the CCHD staff to reach out to these critics and respond to their concerns, anti-CCHD rhetoric has only become more fervent and hateful, and the time has come to rally in defense of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

So where is the mention of the report that lead to the withdrawal of funding for multiple groups CCHD has been supporting for years? If we did not raise our voices CCHD would still be materially cooperating with that evil. Besides some groups still receiving CCHD funds are beyond problematic. It was only recently that money to ACORN was stopped after years of support even though ACORN’s legal problems are nothing new.

‘As members of the Catholic community and followers of Christ, we are impelled to protect the poor and vulnerable of our society. We are called to pursue not only charity but justice, and to ‘set at liberty the oppressed.’ (Lk 4:18) Those who are trying to destroy the Catholic Campaign for Human Development deny the legitimate and pressing need for a faithful response to poverty in our communities. We must not allow the deceitful cries of these detractors, whose partisan agendas supersede their faith, to weaken our commitment to living out the message of Christ and the ideals of Catholic Social Teaching.

And I can do all of that without contributing one dime to CCHD. My parish has a soup kitchen and there are plenty of local Catholic organizations actually helping the poor that I can contribute to. I don’t have to have my money funneled via CCHD to dubious organizations to help the poor. CCHD has shown very poor judgment over the years and I can’t see a single reason for it to continue to exist. The fortress mentality instead of admitting some of the major problems does not advance the cause of promoting the CCHD. Maybe that argument can be made, but I haven’t heard it yet.

On November 21-22, the annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development will take place in parishes across the Archdiocese of Chicago. The money collected during that weekend will go directly to funding projects in impoverished communities throughout the city. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we counter the lies being spread about CCHD. Take a stand against injustice; break the cycle of poverty; support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development!

‘In Christ’s love,

‘Rey Flores, Program Director, Catholic Campaign for Human Development

‘Nicole Wooldridge, Program Assistant, Catholic Campaign for Human Development

‘Nicholas Lund-Molfese, Director, Office for Peace and Justice Adrienne Curry, Program Director, Catholic Relief Services

Once again we get the vague “lies” without pointing to something being said that is factually incorrect. If there are actually lies being told, please inform us of the truth.

I would also like to know why the issues on your web site include the economy, capital punishment, war, housing and other aspects of Catholic social teaching and not a word on the greatest threat of our times of abortion? How in the world can this be left off your list? And please don’t tell us – well the Respect Life Office handles that part. At the least include abortion on your list and link it to the Respect Life Office of the diocese. As long as the social justice offices treat the pro-life cause as the relative they don’t want to talk about, then don’t be surprised when we are dubious of your efforts.

Matt C. Abbott has replies from ALL and HLI on this.

Site: Reform the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

It is an attempt to establish a theocracy to take charge of our politics and our legislation. It is an attempt to make the legislative power of this country subordinate to the church. It is not only to unite Church and State, but it is to put the State in subordination to the dictates of the church.

And another quote.

I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill. I just didn’t expect it from the United States Council [sic, it’s “Conference”] of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Who elected them to Congress?

The first quote is from enator Stephen A. Douglas (D., Ill.), on March 14, 1854 in regards to an anti-slavery petition. The second is from Rep Lynn Woolsey (D, Calif.).

Via The Corner

Mark Shea on the excuse making for the murderous Muslim officer.

…And it means we are absolute idiots to go on ignoring the fact that a) Islam has plenty of room in its body of doctrine for this sort of brutal violence; b) Islam has plenty of people who approve of this kind of violence and are in various stages of readiness to commit it; and c) Radical Islamic ideologues often emit glaring warning signals. We are even greater fools to tiptoe around those Muslims whose first reaction to such crimes is to blame everybody else but their tradition and to demand victimhood for themselves.

We want very much to believe that Violent Islam is a perversion of the Islamic tradition and Wise and Benevolent Islam is the Real Islamic tradition. But the reality is that Islam is an invented human religion that borrows from fragments of Judaism and Christianity, mixes in Mohammed’s own delusional (or lying) claims of revelation, and completes it with a dash of conventional wisdom from seventh-century Arab culture. It is not a magisterial faith with some adjudicating body that defines what is and is not the orthodox reading of the Koran. It is whatever its various adherents say it is.

That means that if you are looking for a sanction for violence in the Koran, you can find it, because it’s there. So is the wisdom, almsgiving, and peace stuff, if you want that. So Muslims who commit these heinous acts with such frequency are not “betraying Islam” when doing so out of self-described piety. They are, in fact, implementing one possible interpretation of the Muslim tradition (and often slaughtering a great many other Muslims in the process). Westerners who lie to themselves that these monsters are “not real Muslims” are simply self-deluded fools. They are as Muslim as Mohammed, as are their Muslim victims. There is no Islamic Magisterium to excommunicate them. They don’t speak for all Muslims, but they most certainly do speak and act for the disturbingly large percentage of Muslims who either applaud them, remain silent, or complain about being victims of suspicion and distrust by the victims of terror instead of complaining about the thugs who commit the terror in the name of Islam.

Quite well said along with the rest of his article. The media wants to call the violent Muslims as radical when really they are closer to their founder than the so-called moderates. People also talk a lot about Islam needing it’s own reformation. Yeah just what we need a return to early Islam where you marry children and invade cities around you as their “prophet” did. Mark also makes great points on the fact that as a human religion and one that was like a blender taking bits and pieces of other religions along with Mohammed’s own contribution people can just focus on the parts they like. This is no surprise since look at people have done with actual scripture. It is just with the Koran you don’t have to twist passages to justify violence – it is there in the text in in the “lived experience” of the first adherents to Islam.

Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy has described comments by Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin questioning his faith because of his stance on abortion and health care reform as “very disconcerting.”

Kennedy made his comments after Bishop Tobin indefinitely postponed a planned Thursday meeting.

He said that the bishop had not kept an agreement not to debate the issue in public in terms of his personal faith. [reference]

Yeah I a sure the good Bishop made an agreement where Rep Kennedy could make idiotic statements against the Bishops on abortion and his local Bishop would say nothing. Though that does seem to be an agreement many bishops have accepted.

But of course the Bishop did not make statements on Kennedy’s “personal faith”, but pertaining to the Catholic faith held by a billion or so. A personal faith that sees fit to attack the public faith is no faith at all.

A priest in the Diocese of Scranton has been removed as administrator of three Throop parishes after he inadvertently displayed four photos of what a diocese spokesman called “minimally attired adult males” before the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Bridget’s Church on Oct. 25.

The Rev. Edward P. Lyman was using his personal computer to project an informational DVD about the diocesan Annual Appeal fundraiser when he accidentally showed the “inappropriate personal photographs” that were stored on his computer, according to a diocesan statement read at the Throop Masses on Sunday.

Diocese spokesman William Genello said the photos were not pornographic and did not display nudity or sexual activity. The photos were not of the Rev. Lyman, nor did he take the pictures, Mr. Genello said.

There were no pictures of minors and no evidence of illegal activity, he said.

Cardinal Justin Rigali, the interim leader of the diocese, has appointed the Rev. Jeffrey Walsh as the new administrator of St. Anthony, St. Bridget and St. John the Baptist parishes.

In a statement to the congregations on Sunday, the Rev. Walsh said his “abrupt” appointment was necessary because of the “unfortunate” disclosure of the photographs a week earlier.

“This event was greatly disturbing to those who were present at St. Bridget’s,” he said.[reference]

Well it least it wasn’t something really evil like a Powerpoint presentation.

The Diocese put this notice on their site.

Reverend Edward P. Lyman, from Administrator, Saint Bridget, Saint Anthony and Saint John the Baptist Parishes, Throop, to Leave of Absence for reasons of health, effective October 30, 2009.

Reasons of health, yes that the ticket. A prevalent reason among bishops/priests after an “unfortunate” event. I guess it is harder for them to use the excuse that they are stepping down to “spend more time with their family” like politicians.

From a story a reader sent me.

Fr. Geoffrey Farrow, former pastor of the St. Paul Newman Center at California State University at Fresno, was removed as pastor in October 2008 for defying church teaching on homosexuality and for condemning Catholic support for Proposition 8, the California Catholic Daily reports.

Not the first time I have seen this typo and it probably won’t be the last. Though you would think the Catholic News Agency would be a little more careful.

The actual story is rather odd about a suspended Catholic priest and homosexual activist who is going after the Knights of Columbus. Maybe he just doesn’t think heterosexuals should be able to wear hats with feathers.

American Papist reports that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio who chaired the US Bishops committee which drafted the Catholic voting guide “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” recorded robocalls used to support a candidate with a pro-abortion and pro-homosexual marriage voting record.

In my opinion I don’t thing a Bishop should be publicly supporting any political candidate even if was someone of St. Thomas More’s stripe. Bishops should be speaking out against intrinsic evils involved in political debate, but to speak in support of individual candidates is a mistake – especially in this circumstance. Plus it looks like he did this in the past in support of pro-abortion Mike Bloomberg. The fact that he chaired the committee on the much criticized faithful citizenship is I guess not surprising.

A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a “One nation under God” button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.

“I’ve worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God,” Trevor Keezor said Tuesday. “I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country.”

The American flag button Keezer wore in the Florida store since March 2008 says “One nation under God, indivisible.” [Via Insight Scoop]

This is why I only go to Rome Depot.

When I posted on Sr. Quinn acting as an abortion escort the other day some had commented concerning excommunication. Canonist Ed Peters goes over three Canons concerning this case and for a mandatory dismissal from religious state.

As Ed Peters and other have noted Sr. Quinn probably will not actually face any consequences. Her Prioress made excuses for her. Though maybe if there is enough of an outcry something could happen.

Via Diogenes

Anglican Bishop Anthony Provenzano of Long Island has engaged the Catholic Church in respectful dialogue:
At the heart of all of this is the reality that the Roman Church is willing to welcome angry, reactionary, misogynistic, homophobic people.

Well in that case the he really should be happier that the Anglicans got rid of so many “angry, reactionary, misogynistic, homophobic people.” In fact the Catholic Church is now just like the lettering on the Statue of liberty kind of, “Give us your angry, reactionary, misogynistic, homophobic people. Your huddled masses yearning to have their liberties curtailed under a dogmatic male hierarchy.”