Reply from Diocesan Office . . .re Church's funding of ACORN

Dear Irene,

Thank you for your note of concern regarding contributions formerly made to ACORN through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. I did take the time to read Mr. Vadum’s article that you recommended.

I know we are in perfect agreement that central to all Catholic moral teaching is the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has increasingly tried to consider only those applications which demonstrate respect for the dignity of the human person. CCHD would never willfully consider applications from organizations which promote or support abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, or any other affront to human life and dignity.

Funding is discontinued if projects deviate from their initial objective into areas inconsistent with the moral teaching of the Catholic Church. ACORN is such an example. The Church donated funds to support ACORN’s efforts on behalf of homeless people. The intention was justifiable and noble. When it was discovered that ACORN was involved in other less noble affairs, the USCCB immediately ended its support and is still seeking to recover the donated funds.

The CCHD is determined to continue to help the poor and the homeless, and to avoid any lack of due diligence or mistaken trust in a local agency misrepresenting itself as compliant with Catholic teaching.

Thank you for your concern. Let us pray that the poor and homeless will not be forgotten.

In His service,

Michael

(The article I recommended was in the February issue of the American Spectator titled ACORN"S Catholic Guardian by Matthew Vadum.)