Posted on 03/18/2011 1:54:39 PM PDT by NYer
Some well-known and high-profile charitable organizations are among those that North Dakota Catholic bishops have asked their parishioners not to donate to or volunteer with.
Bishops Samuel Aquila of the Fargo Catholic Diocese and Paul Zipfel of the Bismarck Diocese issued a guideline for charitable giving for their members, and groups such as the March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Planned Parenthood, UNICEF, Amnesty International, the American Association of University Women and the Crop Walk for Hunger are among them.
The "Guidelines on Charitable Giving" were designed in response to questions from laity about appropriate charities, said Christopher Dodson, executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference.
The guidelines say that Catholics should not support with money or volunteer time with groups that have ties to promoting contraception, abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research, or who "seek to redefine marriage."
The church cannot endorse organizations whose mission may be morally objectionable or at least questionable, the guidelines state.
"Every year we get questions about these groups," Dodson said. The statement was issued to give guidance to parishes, he said.
The charities listed are not a surprise to anyone in "respect life" work, he said: "To those of us who are involved in pro-life, it's common knowledge."
The Florida bishops put out a similar statement in 2009, he said. So far, Dodson said the response has been positive.
Bismarck's Crop Walk for Hunger is usually held in October, and 25 percent of the ecumenical walk proceeds go to local food banks and the remaining to various worldwide hunger programs.
Catholics once constituted a strong presence in the Crop Walk, but it's not that strong anymore, said Allison Germolus of Bismarck, one of the local Crop Walk organizers. Germolus said that walkers always had the option of designating their funds strictly to Catholic Relief Services.
The Crop Walk was on the bishops' list because its umbrella organizations include Church World Service and the National Council of Churches, which has, according to the guidelines, "some partners (who) support the provision of contraception in their overseas missions and programs."
"We work with organizations that disagree with us all the time," Dodson said. "There comes a point when active support for what the church teaches is contradictory ... furthers the activity which the church opposes."
The Crop Walk does not promote abortion, Germolus said, adding that connections with contraception may be as tenuous as a village food bank being the same location for picking up condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS, Germolus said.
In a 2006 statement, the Rev. John L. McCullough, CEO of Church World Service, responded to Catholic Relief Services by stating that Church World Service does not provide funding or support for abortions anywhere in the world. Some of the health programs it supports do provide contraceptives for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and for family planning, he said.
The Catholic Church withdrew from the program because it was not cost-effective for Church World Service to track the giving of Catholic donors who didn't designate Catholic Relief Services on their donation envelopes.
In other groups, UNICEF's work now includes contraceptive and abortion services, the guidelines say.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure was listed because the guidelines say it "refuses to acknowledge the link between abortion and breast cancer."
John Hammarley of Dallas, senior communications adviser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, said that his organization maintains there is no connection between abortion and breast cancer, information he said is based on a 2004 expert panel from the National Cancer Institute. Organization-wide, Hammarley said that Susan G. Komen contributes less than 1 percent of its funds to Planned Parenthood and that those funds are to be used only for breast cancer screening and education.
The guidelines call Amnesty International "pro-abortion" and say the American Association of University Women provides "pro-abortion and same-sex marriage support and opposes parental choice in education."
Lisa Maatz, director of public policy and government relations for AAUW in Washington, D.C., said that she was not aware of the North Dakota statement, but that AAUW was "in fine company" with the other charities on the list.
"We certainly have lots of members who are Catholic and lots of members of other churches," Maatz said. "I have faith that North Dakota Catholics will carry on as they have always carried on, respecting their individual consciences and respecting other people's rights to do the same."
Originating in 1881, with a nationwide membership of more than 100,000, AAUW "has always believed that women are more than capable of making their own choices as their consciences dictate," Maatz said.
AAUW works to break down educational and economic barriers for women, she said.
The group, Maatz said, "is full of women used to speaking truth to power when it needs to be said."
The March of Dimes was designated because the guidelines say it supports embryonic stem cell research, "preimplantation diagnosis for untreatable conditions and mandatory contraceptive coverage for insurance plans."
Karin Roseland of Fargo, state director for the North Dakota March of Dimes Chapter, said the March of Dimes works to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death, she said, and babies who survive often face lifelong health problems and disabilities.
"We think the bishops do not fully appreciate the need for the lifesaving work of the March of Dimes," Roseland said.
Between 1996 and 2006, the rate of babies who died before their first birthday increased more than 9 percent, she said, and one in nine babies in North Dakota is born prematurely.
"We hope that people with differing views will come together in working together for stronger, healthier babies in North Dakota," she said
Catholic ping!
I hope SEIU and Organizing for America are on the list.
Wuttever. The more I get to know my diocese, the less cred it has.
I hope that the Girl Scouts are on that list. They’re in bed with Planned Parenthood.
Good.
Catholics are compelled by the Gospel to responsibly promote the protection of human life, families, and the common good. We applaud the charitable giving and social justice efforts of our parishes, Catholic schools, and individuals. At the same time, we urge attentiveness to the possibility of endorsing an organization whose mission or affiliation may be morally objectionable or, at least, questionable. We call upon pastors, clergy, and the lay faithful to use guidelines based on the virtue of prudence and justice when making charitable giving decisions.
Church teaching: All human life is sacred and must be protected. This is why we should not support or endorse individuals and organizations that provide, promote, or advocate for abortion, contraception, “reproductive rights/ family planning,” or embryonic stem cell research. Marriage, a lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, is the foundation of the family and, therefore, essential to the common good. Accordingly, we should not support individuals and organizations that seek to redefine marriage or whose activities devalue its importance.
Guidelines: When evaluating the appropriateness of participating in, publicizing, or otherwise providing support to a fundraising effort, Catholic entities should consider whether the mission and activities of the organization are consistent with Catholic teaching, particularly as it pertains to human life and marriage. Church facilities should not be used to promote, endorse, or fundraise for such organizations if their policies are contrary to Church teaching.
We take this opportunity to mention certain organizations that Catholic entities should not support.
American Association of University Women: AAUW's stated mission is to advance “equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research” and often provides local scholarships with money raised through book fairs. AAUW, however, strongly supports abortion rights and same-sex “marriage,” and opposes parental choice in education.
Amnesty International: In 2007, Amnesty International abandoned its neutral stance on abortion and adopted a pro-abortion position.
Crop Walk/Church World Service: CROP Walk, an annual hunger awareness and fundraising effort that benefits many local food pantries, is sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), an agency of the National Council of Churches. Catholic Relief Services withdrew its name from the list of funding recipients since some of the partners of CWS support the provision of contraceptives in their overseas missions and programs and CRS could not guarantee that donations, particularly Catholic donors who have earmarked their contribution to those efforts consistent with Church teaching, would not be utilized for objectionable services.
March of Dimes: The March of Dimes' focus is the prevention of birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. March of Dimes, however, also supports embryonic stem cell research, preimplantation diagnosis for untreatable conditions, and mandatory contraceptive coverage for insurance plans.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure: This anti-breast cancer organization is known for its “Race for the Cure” fundraising activities (not to be confused with “Relay for Life.”) Money raised at these events has gone to Planned Parenthood and the organization refuses to acknowledge the link between abortion and breast cancer.
UNICEF: The Holy See suspended an annual symbolic contribution in 1996 due to the “shift in UNICEF activities” that were once solely focused on child welfare but now includes contraceptive and abortion services.
†Most Rev. Paul A. Zipfel
Bishop of Bismarck
†Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila
Bishop of Fargo""
Yet high-profile Catholic politicians such as Pelosi, Biden, Kerry, the Kennedys, et. al. continue to be vocally pro-abortion and they still haven’t been excommunicated.
Not just not excommunicated...they’re celebrated. Need I remind anyone of Ted Kennedy’s funeral?
Like NY, you have some flaky bishops in Ohio. Do you mind my asking where in Ohio you reside and who is your bishop?
Yes & I always must explain why I won't ever but their cookies.
Glad to see someone speak out against the Komen racket.
Steubenville Diocese
I’m quite sure that SEIU would be out of the scope of the list, since it isn’t a charity,
I was just being sarcastic.
The Komen Foundation also gives money to Planned Parenthood for the group to do free mammograms for poor women. But poor women, who are probably on Medicaid would be able to get mammos covered by the program, anyway, wouldn't they? So why would they need to go to a PP facility for that reason?
I avoid buying anything with the 'pink ribbon' on it, because of the muddled message. If the Komen Foundation is going to be true to it's reason for being, it should support nothing but pure research on breast cancer, looking for a cure.
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