U.S. bishops’ relief agency gives $5.3 million to major contraception-providing charity

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iloveangels said:
The Catholic Church is a religion, not primarily a social service agency.
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We cannot separate our Catholic religious identity from acts of service without that identity ceasing to be Catholic. Social service is not just an “extra”. It’s part of living out our faith.
 
Joe_5859 said:
We cannot separate our Catholic religious identity from acts of service without that identity ceasing to be Catholic. Social service is not just an “extra”. It’s part of living out our faith.
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I agree with you on this basic point, but there’s a LOT more to this discussion.

What do works of charity consist of? Exactly? What is a work of charity? Is it:
a) paying another agency to do work for us, even if it means we lose control of what they do with the money?
b) social work pure and simple?
c) farming out things so laypeople don’t have to do it?
d) personally helping other people out because both the giver and the given-to are personally blessed by it?
e) simply a duty we have that we should manage to do with as little work as possible?
f) taking money from the government to administer their programs, even if it means we can’t preach while we do it, so that we can keep the building’s doors open since we don’t have nuns to do it anymore?

And why do we do works of mercy?
a) because the bible says we should?
b) because we do them for spiritual reasons?
c) because we do them to solve political problems like racial inequality just because it needs fixing?
d) to convert other people?
e) to make whatever group you belong to bigger and more powerful?
f) because people need this stuff and we need to compete with the secular businesses because our hospitals are businesses too?

Until we answer these kinds of questions and more in a way that Catholics can agree on and pursue as coordinated practice, the situation is going to remain every bit as murky as it is right now. Right now it’s a sloppy mess and that’s why we’re getting surprise after surprise like this. We need to unpack this stuff and understand what we’re trying to do, and why we’re trying to do it.
 
iloveangels said:
I agree with you on this basic point, but there’s a LOT more to this discussion.

What do works of charity consist of? Exactly? What is a work of charity? Is it:
a) paying another agency to do work for us, even if it means we lose control of what they do with the money?
b) social work pure and simple?
c) farming out things so laypeople don’t have to do it?
d) personally helping other people out because both the giver and the given-to are personally blessed by it?
e) simply a duty we have that we should manage to do with as little work as possible?
f) taking money from the government to administer their programs, even if it means we can’t preach while we do it, so that we can keep the building’s doors open since we don’t have nuns to do it anymore?

And why do we do works of mercy?
a) because the bible says we should?
b) because we do them for spiritual reasons?
c) because we do them to solve political problems like racial inequality just because it needs fixing?
d) to convert other people?
e) to make whatever group you belong to bigger and more powerful?
f) because people need this stuff and we need to compete with the secular businesses because our hospitals are businesses too?

Until we answer these kinds of questions and more in a way that Catholics can agree on and pursue as coordinated practice, the situation is going to remain every bit as murky as it is right now. Right now it’s a sloppy mess and that’s why we’re getting surprise after surprise like this. We need to unpack this stuff and understand what we’re trying to do, and why we’re trying to do it.
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Thanks for the clarification. I understand what you mean now.
 
Well, we agree that all Catholics should get their heads on straight and agree on what, when, why, where and how we perfom acts of mercy, meanwhile, we are being flogged daily by a government that wants us to conform to their secular ideas. We will probably not all agree with anything except that we must adhere to the doctrines of our faith. We cannot and must not give scandal by funneling any type of funds to organizations that will do evil with them. Even an hint of a chink in our armour of faith will allow more and more govt intrusion of secular policies and mandates we must follow.
 
Used2beSherryG said:
Well, we agree that all Catholics should get their heads on straight and agree on what, when, why, where and how we perfom acts of mercy, meanwhile, we are being flogged daily by a government that wants us to conform to their secular ideas. We will probably not all agree with anything except that we must adhere to the doctrines of our faith. We cannot and must not give scandal by funneling any type of funds to organizations that will do evil with them. Even an hint of a chink in our armour of faith will allow more and more govt intrusion of secular policies and mandates we must follow.
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If we don’t get our ducks in a row before we go out the door proclaiming things,
a) nothing we say is going to be any more coherent than the mess we already have, and
b) we are going to get eaten alive.

It’s just that simple.
 
Santo_Subito said:
rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/07/posturing-while-giving-5-million-to.html

Posturing while giving $5 million to contraception-providing and abortionist-befriending “Charity”

How about a “Fortnight for Apologizing to the Faithful” now?

From LifeSiteNews:

U.S. bishops’ relief agency gives $5.3 million to major contraception-providing charity

July 17, 2012 - In the epic battle between the American Catholic bishops and the Obama Administration over being forced to pay for contraceptive coverage, the efforts of the bishops have been undermined time and again by individual Catholics and Catholic entities that support contraception. One major example of this is within the Bishops’ own jurisdiction.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), “the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops” has recently given millions to an organization that doles out contraceptives, including abortifacient ‘emergency contraception.’

The most recent CRS annual returns (2010) indicate that the largest CRS grant — $5.3 million — went to CARE, an international “relief and development organization,” that actively promotes and provides contraceptives for women in developing countries, and supports pro-abortion groups and legislation.

According to the 2010 990s, CRS gave $5,380,466 to CARE, which is noted on page 86 of the filing.
…

The HLI [Human Life International] president noted that that CARE has made “‘reproductive health’—which typically includes contraception as well as abortion—a cornerstone of their ‘development’ strategies.” Because the revenues that CARE receives are fungible, he said, any funds given them would automatically support their whole program—including abortion lobbying and contraception.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the present U.S. Administration, do not things like these make the USCCB campaign at least look like mere political posturing, and undermine the positive view many non-Catholics have of it?

[Image from CARE’s family planning and “Sexual and Reproductive Health” leaflet. Tip: reader]
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CRS is being wrongly accused! See the explaination here
newswire.crs.org/crs-disputes-lifesitenews-article/
 
Catholic Relief Services scandal hits the blogosphere
In July, LifeSiteNews broke the story of Catholic Relief Services, “the official overseas relief and development agency of the USCCB,” granting $5.3 million to CARE, a pro-contraception and pro-abortion organization.
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Since then, numerous blogs have picked up the story—and investigated further. “Red State” has reported on CRS as a dues-paying member of both the pro-conraception CORE Group
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and the pro-abortion group MEDiCAM.

“Societas Restituo Catholicam” has the evidence on MEDiCAM in a detailed post showing visual proof of the company’s “firm commitment to expanding abortion” since 2005.

In a press release, CRS said their involvement with these organizations actually demonstrates “our faithfulness to Church teaching” because they can “contribute our Catholic voice to the conversation.”

The inconsistencies of the explanation have been hashed out at “Veneremur Cernui” in a series of posts going back to February 2010, when CRS hit the spotlight for giving money to global warming advocates.

Each blog names employees at CRS who are, the evidence suggests, directly involved in programs that go against Church teaching. They take issue with the CRS’s statement that “CRS seeks to advance the common good of the world through the uncommon excellence of our staff, partners and programs.”

“Red State” reports that two CRS employees, Rolando Figueroa and Kristin Weinhauer, reviewed a document “produced through a project that CRS had direct oversight for” that clearly promotes contraception—especially among young people—as a means of protecting against STDs.

“Societas Restituo Catholicam” shows that Dr. Sok Pun, another CRS employee, is on the 2011 Steering Committee of MEDiCAM.

Another blog, “Rorate Caeli,” posts on the CRS scandal and makes a fresh point: while Catholics can make the choice to stop donating to CRS, “ultimately the bishops of the United States are directly responsible…and they are the ones who must be pressured to immediately intervene and completely overhaul CRS.”

lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-relief-services-scandal-hits-the-blogosphere
 
_Abyssinia said:
lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-relief-services-scandal-hits-the-blogosphere
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Membership in such an organization (Medicam,) because of it’s deep involvement in the expansion of abortion in Cambodia would be compared to membership in the International Planned Parenthood Federation."
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The only leverage we have is to withhold our money from CRS, but please, as the article suggests, we must contact our bishops and urge them to act quickly and decisively to purge the rot.
 
MHichborn said:
FAB,
CRS needs to answer why they are a dues-paying member of an organization that is pushing for the expansion of abortion in Cambodia:
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I believe they did answer that question and FAB provided the link. But in case you missed it, here is the quote:

Posted on August 16, 2012 by John Rivera
UPDATE–Aug. 16
Recently, Catholic Relief Services was criticized for its membership in MEDiCAM because of the risk of scandal. MEDiCAM is a professional association of Cambodia-based humanitarian agencies which work in the health sector and includes programming areas such as maternal and child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases and strengthening of health systems. The association provides a platform for exchanging information and learning about the programs of each agency, as well as building the capacity of its members. It maintains a large library of technical documents, operates a health email network, publishes a monthly health newsletter and convenes working groups and special health-related events.
MEDiCAM, similar to some networks and professional associations to which CRS belongs, include organization members and program areas which do not align with all tenets of Catholic teaching. CRS staff who participate in these associations acknowledge our differences, air our disagreements on these issues, and contribute our Catholic voice to the conversation. As a member of such associations, we are able to represent the Catholic positions on health care as well as highlight our work and demonstrate the efficacy of such approaches.
It is also important to note that CRS seeks to advance the common good of the world through the uncommon excellence of our staff, partners and programs. In order to achieve this goal, it is important for our staff to engage in the community of technical excellence and expertise in their respective fields. MEDiCAM Group offers us an opportunity to improve the quality of our programming so families in Cambodia can live and thrive. In a similar vein, Catholic physicians are not prohibited from joining the American Medical Association even though there are areas of practice which violate Catholic teachings.
As with other such coalitions and working groups in which CRS participates, we see our membership in MEDiCAM as a means of demonstrating our faithfulness to Church teaching. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community of the United States. We are motivated by the example of Jesus Christ to assist the poor and suffering in nearly 100 countries on the basis of need, without regard to race, religion or nationality.
 
zab said:
I believe they did answer that question and FAB provided the link. But in case you missed it, here is the quote:

Posted on August 16, 2012 by John Rivera
UPDATE–Aug. 16
Recently, Catholic Relief Services was criticized for its membership in MEDiCAM because of the risk of scandal. MEDiCAM is a professional association of Cambodia-based humanitarian agencies which work in the health sector and includes programming areas such as maternal and child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases and strengthening of health systems. The association provides a platform for exchanging information and learning about the programs of each agency, as well as building the capacity of its members. It maintains a large library of technical documents, operates a health email network, publishes a monthly health newsletter and convenes working groups and special health-related events.
MEDiCAM, similar to some networks and professional associations to which CRS belongs, include organization members and program areas which do not align with all tenets of Catholic teaching. CRS staff who participate in these associations acknowledge our differences, air our disagreements on these issues, and contribute our Catholic voice to the conversation. As a member of such associations, we are able to represent the Catholic positions on health care as well as highlight our work and demonstrate the efficacy of such approaches.
It is also important to note that CRS seeks to advance the common good of the world through the uncommon excellence of our staff, partners and programs. In order to achieve this goal, it is important for our staff to engage in the community of technical excellence and expertise in their respective fields. MEDiCAM Group offers us an opportunity to improve the quality of our programming so families in Cambodia can live and thrive. In a similar vein, Catholic physicians are not prohibited from joining the American Medical Association even though there are areas of practice which violate Catholic teachings.
As with other such coalitions and working groups in which CRS participates, we see our membership in MEDiCAM as a means of demonstrating our faithfulness to Church teaching. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community of the United States. We are motivated by the example of Jesus Christ to assist the poor and suffering in nearly 100 countries on the basis of need, without regard to race, religion or nationality.
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So, the defense is boiled down to this, then: “We are members, and we’re happy to be members. Even though our dues-money funds an organization that is intent on expanding abortions in Cambodia, we like the good networking that membership brings us.”

I don’t know what anyone else calls it, but I call that evil.
 
MHichborn said:
So, the defense is boiled down to this, then: “We are members, and we’re happy to be members. Even though our dues-money funds an organization that is intent on expanding abortions in Cambodia, we like the good networking that membership brings us.”

I don’t know what anyone else calls it, but I call that evil.
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What can you do when the road to understanding and wisdom is firmly closed because of one’s political propensities? It is far beyond me to understand how “Social Justice Catholics” can ardently fight against poverty while denying the very right to be born. It is the highest perversion of truth and utterly incongruous.

Did CRS even attempt to defend the fact that they are on the steering committee of Medicam? I’ve always understood that one of the functions of a steering committee is to ensure that a project reaches its specified goal. Since Medicam’s goal, by their own admission, is “the increase of trained abortion providers, the increase of women seeking legal abortions, the reduction of fees for abortions, and the increase of contraception use following an abortion,” it will be fun to see if CRS will continue to embarrass themselves by a further futile defense of their actions.
 
Tigg said:
What can you do when the road to understanding and wisdom is firmly closed because of one’s political propensities? It is far beyond me to understand how “Social Justice Catholics” can ardently fight against poverty while denying the very right to be born. It is the highest perversion of truth and utterly incongruous.

Did CRS even attempt to defend the fact that they are on the steering committee of Medicam? I’ve always understood that one of the functions of a steering committee is to ensure that a project reaches its specified goal. Since Medicam’s goal, by their own admission, is “the increase of trained abortion providers, the increase of women seeking legal abortions, the reduction of fees for abortions, and the increase of contraception use following an abortion,” it will be fun to see if CRS will continue to embarrass themselves by a further futile defense of their actions.
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I don’t know who you are referring to in your first paragraph but it comes across as insulting to me as a faithful Catholic who has not been convinced by the blogosphere’s attempt to villianize the CRS, a charity that I support.
 
zab said:
I don’t know who you are referring to in your first paragraph but it comes across as insulting to me as a faithful Catholic who has not been convinced by the blogosphere’s attempt to villianize the CRS, a charity that I support.
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Sadly, it’s much much more than the blogosphere.
 
zab said:
sadly indeed.
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Haven’t you ever wondered why the largest global social justice groups advocate “women’s reproductive rights” which translates into every activity embracing abortion, contraception and same sex unions (another form of contraception) and all manner of things which would usurp God the **Creator **and the primary tenets of our faith?

You don’t need to believe the blogs - just visit the web sites of these groups. What good is sanitation and clean water if you’re not even allowed to be born?
 
Tigg said:
Haven’t you ever wondered why the largest global social justice groups advocate “women’s reproductive rights” which translates into every activity embracing abortion, contraception and same sex unions (another form of contraception) and all manner of things which would usurp God the **Creator **and the primary tenets of our faith?

You don’t need to believe the blogs - just visit the web sites of these groups. What good is sanitation and clean water if you’re not even allowed to be born?
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Of course I have, that is why after I first read the LifeSiteNews article I immediately contacted CRS whom I give a monthly donation to. But I believe it is important to listen to both sides of this issue. There is also such a thing as “character assasination” - destroying the good name of another and that goes for destroying the good name of organizations as well. And I think that websites like LifeSiteNews and Church Militant TV need to be careful when they give this kind of news that they do not do more harm than good in reporting it.
 
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