The following story was posted September 6 on the Catholic New Agency site.
Catholic Relief Services has announced revisions to an HIV prevention document because of its “inappropriate information” about condoms and their use.
“Despite the mistakes, at no point did CRS purchase or distribute condoms. We are revising the document to ensure that it meets our standards as approved by the USCCB,” Michael Hill, a senior writer with the relief agency, told CNA Sept. 5.
Hill said the 179-page document was written in 2009 by outside consultants for a Vietnam program that aimed to halt the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users.
“CRS staff prescribed revisions to the document that were not carried out by the external consultant in the final, posted document,” he said. This meant that five sentences in the document referred to condom use among couples where one person is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative.
The agency announced the revisions in Aug. 31 in response to a report from LifeSite News.
The relief agency, which is overseen by the U.S. bishops, has 5,000 employees working to help more than 100 million people across the world address poverty, hunger, drought, disease and other emergencies.
LifeSite News has also reported on several of the agency’s employees who have records of past employment with agencies that support legal abortion or distribute abortion drugs and condoms.
One reported case also involves an employee’s assault on pro-life demonstrators.
Charisse Glassman, a legislative assistant with Catholic Relief Services-Haiti, was charged with assault last year after she drove her car into a female pro-life demonstrator in a crowd at the March for Life in January 2011. Court records say Glassman allegedly laughed several times during the incident.
In response to the questions raised about employees, Michael Hill stated that Catholic Relief Services employees “all are expected to follow Church teachings and doctrines” in their work for the agency.
The agency also aims to hire “the best qualified people for jobs.”
“In many cases, that requires that an employee be Catholic, but in many it does not,” he said.
Potential employees are informed about the agency’s Catholic identity and are asked about their commitment to the agency’s “faith-based mission.” All job postings also note “fundamental” Catholic teachings.
“If someone has previously worked at an employer with policies that are not in agreement with Catholic teachings, we do not assume that the applicant shares those views,” Hill said. “We do ask about their commitment to Catholic teachings to ensure they are a good fit for CRS.”
Hill said the agency does not investigate employees’ outside activities but it expects employees to “conduct themselves with integrity to CRS’ values and its fidelity to Church teachings.”
In July, Catholic Relief Services responded to concerns about its funding of CARE, an international humanitarian organization that provides relief to the needy in developing nations but also offers contraception and early abortion-inducing drugs. Catholic Relief Services said the funding was carefully restricted to morally acceptable purposes and was reviewed by a Catholic bioethicist.
For original story click here.
“179 page document”! Why would a truly charitable organization need to spell every iota out in documents? The more untrustworthy an organization, the more legalism it requires to function.
Bishop Kicanas has been the chairman of CRS since 11/10. Why are his feet not being held to the coals? Why isn’t he being asked the tough questions? Why is he not mentioned in any of the articles I have read about these CRS scandals? Kicanas is the USCCB’s, appointed by Dolan, head bishop running this scandal filled organization.
Keep wishing.
Bishops typically are mere figureheads the purpose of which is to lend credibility to various government subcontractors … at least that is the way it seems to be. The Pope told the bishops to get holy … And so far there is not a whole lot of response evident anywhere.
I’m reading a book on how to be holy by a bishop. Honest.
k, when you become a bishop, let us know how your attempt to become holy went. Btw, since you added “honest”, then we can take it that this is not the norm?
JLS, I said “honest” so you would know that I was not mocking you.
Does this book by this bishop on becoming holy actually arrive at its destiny, k?
It’s a daily struggle.
JLS,
You rightly asked k, if this book by this bishop on becoming holy actually arrives at a destiny?
Reading a book about the example of “The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen” and his example of holiness would be arriving at a good destiny. Otherwise it sounds like k is almost removing the culpability and the responsibility of a bishop to teach and uphold the faith and influence others in the meaning of holiness. We do need our bishops to become courageous and holy. The reason being, the devil gets most of his work done through mediocrity. Our Lady of Akita said, No more compromises!
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” – Dante Alighieri
Kicanas is NOT a figurehead. Since the beginning of this year he has been to Egypt, Southeast Asia and recently southern Africa, maybe even more that I am not aware of. He has jetted across the country on several CRS meetings, including right now, and went to the Chicago seminary to indoctrinate the seminarians there in CRS.
Forgot to mention that Kicanas went to Haiti last year and formed a CRS/Cath Health Assoc alliance with CHA’s Carol Keehan for initiatives in Haiti. Keehan not only has had her picture taken with Obama when he signed Obamacare and with Obama when she supported the theft from seniors of over $500 billion from the Medicare trust fund but she has also been photographed with a smiling Kicanas when the CRS/CHA deal was made. Quite a scrapbook that Keehan has!
CRS needs new leaders that won’t be playing games with God’s children. By being in bed with CARE, they ARE helping the devil to promote birth-control and abortion, despite of what they claim. It doesn’t matter to the victim if you shoot someone and they die, or if you have someone else do it; the results are the same: a DEAD VICTIM!! CRS has done so much good, but, with this scandal, I refuse to help them anymore, just as I won’t support “catholic” Charities, as they are in bed with the government. Wake up bishops of the USCCB and become men of God. +JMJ+
All employees of Catholic organizations who do not comply with all teachings in the CCC must be fired. PERIOD.
CRS – “ We do ask about their commitment to Catholic teachings to ensure they are a good fit for CRS. ”
WHY NOT ? ? ? ? ? ?
There are plenty of FAITHFUL Catholics who need jobs.
“Catholic Relief Services said the funding was carefully restricted to morally acceptable purposes and was reviewed by a Catholic bioethicist.”
CARE which offers contraception and early abortion-inducing drugs. Does Catholic Relief Services think that we are so dumb that we do not realize that funds are fungible?
Canned pitch, what all the Catholic orgs declare. And, yes, they do believe “we’re” dumb … Why? Because they get their blood money from “us”. Although not from me directly, no way.
Until CRS completely removes from it’s board all who serve on CARE and other organiations that work in opposition to Catholic teaching and completely stop contributing to such organizations, I will withhold my CRS contributions.
The CRS Board is basically populated Apb. Dolan cronies and those who openly defy church teaching such as Sr. Carol Keehan, DC. Since Carolyn Woo took over at the beginning 2012, things have gone from bad to worse. This is just like the bishops’ other out of control charity, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. No more money until they clean up their act.
I am a monthly donor to CRS, which is still regarded as one of the world’s truly great charities. Even the UN hired it to provide relief to the displaced during the Kosovo crisis in the Balkens during the Clinton administration.
If there is a problem with an CRS employee driving into a demonostrrtor, that hopefully produced a police report that can be followed up on. If someone breaks the law.
On the contraception issue, most of the needy can get that from their own country’s state aid agency. That way CRS can keep its hands clean, but please don’t think their inabiiltiy to distrucute it means the poor won’t get birtth cotnrol. Countries simply reach out to another aid agency or one of their own to provide the condoms, pill, IUD, whatever. CRS or no CRS, the birth control information and devices still gets still gets to those who want it and nobody can stop that.
Catholic Church and Catholic organizations must have ZERO part in giving Catholic funds for any things against our Church teaching.
Of Course people will have access to contraception and abortion inducing drugs, but for Catholics to help pay for them ? ? ? ? ?
The CRS has dirty hands with our donation and tax dollars.
That is the purpose of the above article.
CCC: ” 2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception). “
goodcause,
Once again I ask, just what is your “good cause”? Why are you constantly taking the side of the AmChurch by trying to defend their deplorable actions?
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
The mark of true greatness, goodcause, is when the UN contracts a Catholic organization? Why don’t you worship at UN churches instead of Catholic Churches if you are so star struck by the UN?
CRS, This is not rocket science. Just get fully right with Church teaching.
I only see one “liberal” on the Board of Directors of CRS: Board of Directors
Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas – Chair
Bishop of Tucson
Dr. Viva O. Bartkus
Associate Professor, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame
Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland
Bishop Emeritus of Savannah
Most Rev. William P. Callahan, OFM Conv.
Bishop of LaCrosse
Most Rev. Joseph R. Cistone
Bishop of Saginaw
Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley
Archbishop of Oklahoma City
Mr. Glenn M. Creamer – Treasurer
Providence Equity Partners
Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane
Bishop of Venice
Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, S.T.D.
Bishop of Brownsville
Dr. Patrick T. Harker
President, University of Delaware
Most Rev. Martin D. Holley
Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, D.C.
Rev. Msgr. Ronny Jenkins – Secretary
General Secretary, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Sr. Carol Keehan, DC
President, CEO, Catholic Health Association
Most Rev. George J. Lucas
Archbishop of Omaha
Most Rev. Denis J. Madden – Vice Chair
Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore
Most Rev. Richard J. Malone
Bishop of Buffalo
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Constance L. Proctor
Attorney, Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Honorable Geraldine E. Rivera
Retired District Judge
Most Rev. Michael J. Sheehan
Archbishop of Santa Fe
Most Rev. John C. Wester
Bishop of Salt Lake City
Bp Kicanas as Chair, and Sr. Carol Keehan who helped push through OBAMACARE and got a pen from Obama at the signing.
This is not good.
USCCB committies, organizations, and charities need to be cleaned up to adhere to the CCC in ENTIRETY.
No excuses with Catholic donation money.
Correction, I see at least one Alinskyite/liberation theology bishop on the board, at least one far left wing socialist ‘sister’, and two other name calling mudslinging bishops I would call just ‘plain old’ liberals.
Looks like the Name Game: Ever wondered why so many bishops need their name on such lists? Any answer you reply with will be ridiculous.
To fulfill our obligation to help the poor, –
” ST. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY ” helps those locally.
” AID to the CHURCH in NEED “, a Catholic Charity under the guidance of the Holy Father – helps those around the world.
You can find more info about this charity on the internet.
Yes. Clearly it’s such a horrible thing to simply consider the possibility of using a condom in a monogamous couple where one partner is HIV positive and the other is not, regardless of their religious or moral beliefs. Obviously, it’s far better to just tell them not to have sex and to walk away rather than provide basic health information that literally saves lives and to allow grown adults to make their own decisions with all the knowledge available.
God is all knowledge. It is the govt and much of the voting public who has walked away from responsibility. It is emotional bullying by the govt and business which follows the more brutal policy of China to reduce the population by minimizing births. China has a one child policy, yet the west has a de facto 1.8 child policy. If you are old and don’t like it, then just wait til your next hospital visit, especially with the Obama health care (not) law kicks your tail into eternity.
wolves