Catholic Protest Group Leader Stirs Up Controversy

FOX NEWS ^ | August 2002

[NYer]

From contraception to gay rights to the death penalty, Catholics for Free Choice takes a position contrary to the church. The organization denounces the moral teachings of the church, condemns the Vatican and ridicules church leaders on a regular basis.

[NYer]

"I spent 20 years looking for a government to overthrow without being thrown in jail, " she said. "I finally found one in the Catholic Church."

Another California based group?

[NYer]

NCCB denounces Catholics for a Free Choice

Statement issued by the National Council of Catholic Bishops
authoritatively denying that Catholics for a Free Choice
merit any recognition or support as a Catholic organization.

May 10, 2000

Galveston-Houston Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/U. S. Catholic Conference, issued the following statement on the status of the organization "Catholics for a Free Choice":

For a number of years, a group calling itself Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), has been publicly supporting abortion while claiming it speaks as an authentic Catholic voice. That claim is false. In fact, the group's activity is directed to rejection and distortion of Catholic teaching about the respect and protection due to defenseless unborn human life.

On a number of occasions the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) has stated publicly that CFFC is not a Catholic organization, does not speak for the Catholic Church, and in fact promotes positions contrary to the teaching of the Church as articulated by the Holy See and the NCCB.

CFFC is, practically speaking, an arm of the abortion lobby in the United States and throughout the world. It is an advocacy group dedicated to supporting abortion. It is funded by a number of powerful and wealthy private foundations, mostly American, to promote abortion as a method of population control. This position is contrary to existing United Nations policy and the laws and policies of most nations of the world.

In its latest campaign, CFFC has undertaken a concentrated public relations effort to end the official presence and silence the moral voice of the Holy See at the United Nations as a Permanent Observer. The public relations effort has ridiculed the Holy See in language reminiscent of other episodes of anti-Catholic bigotry that the Catholic Church has endured in the past.

As the Catholic Bishops of the United States have stated for many years, the use of the name Catholic as a platform for supporting the taking of innocent human life and ridiculing the Church is offensive not only to Catholics, but to all who expect honesty and forthrightness in public discourse. We state once again with the strongest emphasis: "Because of its opposition to the human rights of some of the most defenseless members of the human race, and because its purposes and activities deliberately contradict essential teachings of the Catholic faith,... Catholics for a Free Choice merits no recognition or support as a Catholic organization" (Administrative Committee, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1993).

See http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/00-115.htm for the official release.

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[Desdemona]

"Now, she reportedly doesn't attend mass or pray."

"I spent 20 years looking for a government to overthrow without being thrown in jail, " she said. "I finally found one in the Catholic Church."

This person is NOT Catholic. She should be sued for false advertising, and whatever else we can find in the way of malicious intent. There's laywers in this caucus, right?

[eastsider]

Unlike grassroots groups, funded by thousands of membership dues, records show the organization receives most of its money from liberal foundations. Its big-money donations include $375,000 from billionaire Warren Buffett; $600,000 from the Hewlett Foundation; $1.6 million from the MacArthur Foundation; $3.8 million from the Packard Foundation; and $4.4 million from the Ford Foundation.

I wonder how that $10,775,000 is spent?

[Antoninus]

I wonder how that $10,775,000 is spent?

You can send out a lot of direct mail pieces and press releases with $10 million.... Isn't it sad what's happened to these great charitable organizations? As for Warren Buffet, as far as I'm concerned, he's nothing but another bigotted, anti-Catholic buffoon. May all his stocks sink to $0 or lower.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Additional comments about CFFC can be found here

Fat, dumb and stupid is no way to go through life, Frank.

[NYer]

According to 'ourladyswarriors' (what a great web site!),

Promotes artificial contraceptive "rights," including abortion. Their focus is the "intersection of Catholic teaching and public policy." Bishop Bruskewitz excommunicated those that belong to this group in his Diocese. Member of Catholic Organizations for Renewal.

Go Bruskewitz!!!

[american colleen]

My parish priest thinks Bruskewitz is "from the Dark Ages" (exact quote) for throwing "catholics for a free choice" and a few other groups out.

Please pray for him, as I do. He's in his late 60s, I always thought that age group tended to be more orthodox, but the more I get around (and see what goes on in my parish), the more I know that my assumption isn't true.

[EODGUY]

The woman and those who support her financially or ideologically are pathetic.

I will pray for them.

God bless,

EODGUY

[Salvation]

Go Bruskewitz!!! Go Bruskewitz!!! Go Bruskewitz!!!

BTTT!