The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), annually provides anywhere from $9 million to $15 million to political agitation groups every year. For fiscal year 2018-2019, the CCHD issued a total of $11,587,939 in grant money to such organizations.
The problem is that every year, despite constant denials, promises, and even an entire campaign of “review and renewal,” many of the organizations the CCHD funds undermine Church teaching. Time and again, CCHD has given grants to organizations that promote abortion, homosexuality, Marxism, or heresy, or they are members of coalitions that do these things, or their leadership is involved in them. And this last grant cycle is no different.
Earlier this year, we published a report exposing a $750,000 grant given to the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN). ISN actively promotes homosexual perversions, including transgenderism. On its website are numerous articles and events promoting homosexualism, and its annual Ignatian Family Teach-In conference regularly includes talks and break-out sessions for young people on LGBT activism and transgender inclusion. The CCHD issued a response to our report, defending both the grant and the perverse activities of ISN.
With that history in mind, the first CCHD funded grantee we are profiling for the 2018-2019 grant cycle is an organization called “Just Economics of Western North Carolina”. Just Economics is a first-time grantee and received $25,000 for 2018-2019.
According to the CCHD, it performs a “rigorous, consultative review process before awarding any grants.” This process includes site visits, a review of all the organization’s activities, and signed statements from the organization that it will not participate or condone activities that contradict Church teaching. The local diocesan bishop then endorses the grantee and the funding is awarded.
Somehow, during this “rigorous” process, the CCHD entirely missed that Just Economics was a sponsor of the 2015 homosexualist “LGBT in the South” conference. Just Economics blasted its support of this conference on both Facebook and Twitter and was featured prominently on the LGBT in the South Conference webpage.
As an aside, Vicki Meath, long time and current executive director of Just Economics “liked” this Facebook post.
The LGBT in the South Conference primarily focused on homosexual “marriage” and LGBT activism in the southern states. One of the main organizers of this conference was LGBT activist Joey Lopez who later in 2015 went on to become Just Economic’s Living Wage Program Coordinator. He held this position until 2016.
CCHD either missed or ignored all this homosexualist activity during the screening process for Just Economics’ 2018-2019 grant.
Just Economics’ promotion of LGBT activism did not end in 2016. Just Economics twice broadcast its support of homosexualism on its official Facebook and Twitter pages.
First, on May 17th ,2019, Just Economics retweeted Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s tweet in support of the Equality Act “to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.” It is important to note that the US Bishops Conference officially OPPOSED the Equality Act, so here we again have a CCHD grantee undercutting the moral stands of the US bishops.
In June of this year, Just Economics used its official social media accounts to give support for homosexual “pride” by posting a rainbow flag and giving gratitude to those who rioted at the “Stonewall Rebellion,” an infamous homosexualist event.
Clearly, both before the grant and during the 2018-2109 grant cycle, Just Economics has shown itself to be both unworthy of passing the “rigorous” screening process and unworthy of the grant it eventually received. As this organization is in direct violation of CCHD guidelines, it MUST be defunded and never again be given Catholic funding.
No matter how many times the CCHD and its bishop-advocates promise not to fund such organizations, they continue to fund them time and again. No amount of reform is going to change the problem as the CCHD has shown itself to be either completely incapable of properly vetting organizations receiving Catholic funding, or it is itself supportive of groups like this. And if CCHD sees no moral issue with funding an organization such as HWC, then the fundamental problem with it is plain for all to see.
It is time to END the Catholic Campaign for Human Development!
Please contact the CCHD and demand answers. Ask them how or why an organization like HWC ever received a grant and if CCHD will demand Catholic money to be returned for violating CCHD guidelines and Catholic moral/social teaching.
NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF
Main Number . . . . . . . . . . 202-541-3210
Fax Number . . . . . . . . . . 202-541-3329
Main Email . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Ralph McCloud Director: 202-541-3367 [email protected]
Lydia Jiles Grants Administrator: 202-541-3210 [email protected]
Everyone-laity, priest, and bishops–involved with CCHD just can’t help themselves. They simply DO NOT KNOW anyone who is involved in the pro-life movement, or is not involved in promoting sodomy and socialism. They cannot comprehend the Lepanto Institute’s objections because they think promoting sodomy and socialism is simply what ALL DECENT PEOPLE do. Two minutes after they get through deflecting the Lepanto Institute’s objections, they forget all about it, because they see the Institute’s objections as literally, completely absurd.
Then it is time for the to go!!!
What is the process???
How can we take out the trash???
I am vigorously opposed to the actions
taken by the USCCB and it’s allies in
the LGBTQ movement that has become increasingly violent and Left
Wing. The Left is wining far too many battles in politics and religion but
standing up to their evil intentions is
incumbent on those who still value
our Constitution and our cherished Catholic Faith.
I no longer give my money to the usccb collection
My question is, is this in any way attached to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal?
It depends on the diocese. The only way to find out is to call or write the diocese and ask if any of the money from the appeal will be used for the CCHD.
Thank you.