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October 2, 2009
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Bishops
FROM: Bishop Roger P. Morin, Chairman
RE: CCHD
I write to respond to a recent report from Bellarmine Veritas Ministries that identified
several CCHD-funded groups that had taken actions in conflict with CCHD’s guidelines after they were funded, particularly lack of conformity with Catholic teaching.
The projects in the report included The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, in
Washington, D.C.; the Chinese Progressive Association; and Young Workers United, both based
in San Francisco. The leadership of the Rebecca Project, which had already been de-funded by
CCHD as a result of national and local staff oversight, was found to be in support of abortion
rights. The Chinese Progressive Association and Young Workers United, both immigrant
workers’ rights groups, had, without the knowledge of the local Archdiocese or CCHD, produced
voter guides that took positions on referenda opposed to Catholic teaching on same-sex
marriage and, in one case, parental notification and abortion. As soon as these facts were
confirmed, and after consultation with the local Archdiocese, the groups were also defunded.
These prompt and decisive responses were noted by Bellarmine in a subsequent story on its
Web site. Two other groups named in the original story were investigated and, in consultation
with the local dioceses, the charges proved to be inaccurate or a misunderstanding had occurred.
These firm actions are consistent with CCHD’s policies and practices, which deny funding to
groups that take positions contrary to Catholic teaching. If you have any concerns or questions about these actions, please feel free to contact me, Ralph McCloud, or John Carr at the USCCB.
In addition, I remind you that the CCHD ban on funding ACORN at any level remains in
place. You can assure your people that this will be the third CCHD collection in which no funds have gone or will go to any national or local ACORN structures.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to assure you
that the CCHD Subcommittee and staff take seriously any allegation that groups we fund are not
in compliance with Catholic teaching, or are participating in partisan political activity. We
immediately investigate each allegation in consultation with the local diocese and, if the
allegations are confirmed, discontinue funding immediately. We are always examining ways to
strengthen and improve our monitoring efforts to ensure that all of the 250 current grantees
comply with CCHD criteria. This is an ongoing process, involving both local dioceses and
national CCHD and national staff.
Your continuing support of CCHD and the generosity of your people have helped
- empower 250 groups of low-income people throughout the country to lift themselves
from poverty and live in dignity. Each of these groups has been carefully reviewed
for conformity to Catholic teaching and approved by the local bishop for funding.
They work on job creation, crime prevention, housing, immigration, and other vital
issues.
- assist economic development initiatives in 18 different communities, including
employment, housing, and urban and rural development.
- advance the mission of Catholic social teaching throughout the country with
education efforts to share the Church’s principles and their implications in the midst
of this economic turmoil.
- preach the good news of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. CCHD’s
“Poverty USA’’ campaign has been recognized several times as one of the best
public service campaigns in the nation.
CCHD is deeply integrated into the life of the Catholic community. For example, in 2008,
CCHD funded groups involved
- 683 Catholic priests
- 776 Catholic parishes
- 18 Catholic Charities agencies
- 51 religious communities
With economic desperation facing so many, our work becomes even more important. The
annual CCHD collection will be taken up in most dioceses the weekend of November 21-22,
2009. Thank you for your many efforts to promote both this collection and the essential work of
the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
CCHD helps the Catholic community respond to the challenge of Pope Benedict XVI:
I extend to every disciple of Christ and to every person of good will a warm invitation to
expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take whatever practical steps are
possible in order to help them. The truth of the axiom cannot be refuted: “to fight poverty
is to build peace.” (2009 World Day of Peace Message #15.)