NETWORK today issued the following statement regarding federal funding of Catholic human needs programs:
Catholic groups and members of the Obama administration have had some disagreements in recent weeks, but we at NETWORK believe that some Catholic complaints have been exaggerated or misinformed.
One area of disagreement concerns the continuing level of government funding for vital Catholic programs. The truth of the matter is that the Obama administration has actually increased funding for Catholic nonprofit organizations and programs. In fact, more than $1.5 billion went to Catholic organizations over the past two years.
Funding increases for Catholic organizations in recent years include the following:
- An increase from $12.45 million (2008) to $57.89 million (2011) in USDA food assistance to Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
- An increase from just over $440 million (2008) to more than $554 million (2010) to Catholic Charities USA
- Increases in Dept. of Labor grants to Catholic organizations such as Catholic Charities of Kansas for ex-offender reintegration and other programs from $300,000 (2009) to more than $5 million (2011)
- An increase of HHS funding for Catholic Medical Mission Board global health activities from $500,000 (2008) to $7 million (2011).
These are just a few examples of the many types of support received by Catholic organizations. They stand in sharp contrast to the overblown rhetoric about government cuts to Catholic groups since HHS decided in late September to deny a new grant to the Church for services to human trafficking victims in favor of other groups.
Because we lobby strenuously for government funding for programs that serve the needs of people, we take seriously any charges that the government may be shortchanging them. For that reason, we want to set the record straight now. And we intend to make sure that this administration and others to follow continue to serve the common good.
This above story comes from a Jan. 31 release from NetworkLobby.org.
Calif. dioceses on the dole
On Sept. 18, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the award of nearly $10 million in grants to 40 organizations that will help permanent residents prepare and apply for U.S. citizenship. Located in 24 states and the District of Columbia, these organizations will receive federal funding to support citizenship preparation services for permanent residents through September 2016.
….Under this year’s program, grant recipients will offer citizenship instruction to prepare permanent residents for the civics and English components of the naturalization test, and naturalization application services within the scope of the authorized practice of immigration law. The period of performance for the grants is two years.
Among the 2014 (fiscal year) grant recipients:
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa | Santa Rosa, Calif. |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton | Stockton, Calif. |
| Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties | San Bernardino, Calif. |
This information from the Sept. 2014 report of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.
Ten Million dollars to several dioceses to help train immigrants to become citizens may seam like a lot of money to some. But, when you consider salaries, health benefits, retirement contributions, accounting services, staff training, rent of buildings for the classrooms, travel and expenses for teaching materials, etc., it doesn’t seem all that much. Think of the diocese of LA, where minorities are the majority of members and have the most immigrants who need to be served. Now, if we can keep the government from imposing rules that are against the teachings of the Church, we can do good work. If not, a lot of people will not become loyal citizens.
We may need to withdraw slowly for the sake of the poor people currently served by these programs, but we need to withdraw. Now.
I agree that we need to withdraw. Now.
If we withdraw slowly, and get out altogether, who will do this work? Helping immigrants become citizens has always been the work of the Church, although without government money. But these are not the simple days of the past. I would be totally in favor of us getting out of government funding for our good works, but where will the money come from? Any sustained effort for example requires having lawyers on staff. How do we pay them? How do we pay for social workers, ESL teachers, rent, etc. We, myself included, are good at touting our need to do good work, but Catholics just don’t, historically, cough up the money. Read the book “Why Catholics don’t give”. It is an eye opener.
If we are obedient to the Motu Proprio, and get out asap 2015, the Federal Government will have to do its own work – especially regarding the ILLEGAL immigrants, abortion, contraception, etc.
Jesus will provide money for needed good works. He will not expect us to do any more than that which He has given us resources for.
(The government has strings attached to bad works).
We already pay for needed lawyers and other staffers for the USCCB, through each Diocese being assessed within the USA.
This will not be affected.
The US government will pay for needed social workers. Don’t worry so much about the government’s job.
There are currently over 1.9 MILLION Federal Government high paid with excellent benefits – employees.
There are many who have all the skills needed to serve the American public.
It is NOT the job for any Catholic Charity to become another social service organization – per the Motu Proprio.
– – – – –
Another thing is that the USCCB, all Parishes, etc – merely cut the CCHD, Catholic Charities, and CRS loose.
Let them operate 100% on their own with:
ZERO Catholic affiliation,
ZERO Church collection or Diocese $ support,
ZERO Bishops, priests or nuns involved in any aspect,
ZERO Bishops’ Conferences involved in any aspect,
and change the organization names so that they will not use the name “Catholic”.
Maddie, there are not enough lawyers at the USCCB to do the job. Many Catholic Charities need several lawyers just to handle immigration issues. These are not the corporate law types, but immigration specialist. The work that goes on is massive. Were talking thousands of immigrants in many of the dioceses. Do we want to just let them languish? By the way, one of the reasons that there are not more government employees is that it is faith based organization doing the work. Not a good argument, I know, but … I find that most people just have no idea of the enormity of the problem. Than CC has to help find housing for thousands who work, but don’t have the money for down payment and security payments. If you earn $10/hr and work 30 hrs. max (Walmart) you can’t save the $1,000 security deposit and 1st month’s rent for a small one or two bedroom apartment in a metropolitan area. CC has to come to your aid. How do we fund that from the pews?
Bob One, immigration laws are NOT the responsibility of the Catholic Church.
The Church only needs to defend its own accurate teachings exactly as stated in the CCC with lawyers.
The Church should NOT financially support ILLEGAL immigration.
That is the job of the Federal Government only.
The government will not let anyone starve on our soil.
If the government let’s them in ILLEGALLY, it is their job to deport them or support them.
Get rid of CCHD, Catholic Charities, and CRS.
If they want to go completely secular, that’s ok and up to them.
But they should not expect anything from those in the pews and should NOT advertise themselves as “Catholic”.
Catholics are paying at both ends for ILLEGALS – through our government taxes, and through our Church.
This has got to stop.
Let the government do their own job starting mid- 2015.
This is 3 years old!
Catholic Charities need to remove from federal funding; it is like taking sustenance from Satan. The federal government, particularly under Obama, has evil at its core, whether in foreign policy (anti-Israel and pro-Muslim; anti-American exceptionalism), or domestic (where homosexual and abortion “rights” are embraced).
Once a Master-Slave relationship is established, the Church loses all discernment. Certainly some limited aid can be accepted, say immediate funding for emergency relief purposes. However, in the main, such funding, particularly by Obama, is used to control, not to advance specific beneficial purposes.
And, it is not just the President that harbors a darker purpose with federal funding. The US Congress under Democratic leadership, consented to enormous donations to Planned Parenthood and other evil enterprises. Would you take a gift from Adolph Hitler, from Charles Manson, from Rev. Jeremiah Wright (who cursed America); other examples abound?
Unfortunately, doctrinal purity is not the long suit of today’s Catholic leadership. Sure, it is fine to have Cardinal Chuckles-Bravo Dolan lead the St. Paddy’s Parade, festooned as it is with homosexual advocacy groups; and it is fine to have Cardinal Goebbels-Baldisseri steal books portraying the real Catholic Faith on marriage from the in-boxes of Cardinals before the last Synod; these people are moving further and further away from being understood as Catholic, at all. But the Church leadership needs to remove itself from corrupting influences before it can no longer tell good from evil.
St Christopher — AMEN to that! The “Common Good” that is promoted by government may not be the same as the “common good” as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. We need to separate ourselves from government subsidies and grants and return to the teaching the gospel at the pulpit. When government tells us what we can say or not say at the pulpit in the name of bigotry or hatred we are supporting Satan’s values for evil. Only when Church leaders are free to teach the gospel without being afraid to speak out about evil our pews will be filled once again. Hence, government financial support will be replaced with more Catholics filling the pews at the church and more support will be coming from our parishioners rather than our government who may be supporting Satan’s values rather than ours. God never lets us down when we trust in Him..
” We need to separate ourselves from government subsidies and grants and return to the teaching the gospel at the pulpit. ” – AMEN !
You are so right. Unfortunately, many Bishops are lusting for the Federal Dollars.
They may have started out with honorable intentions, but as they become addicted, they become corrupted.
As the Church we must abide by the principle of Subsidiarity, which in essence, in this case, amounts to “Charity begins at home”. By using tax dollars for “Charity” the Bishops violate this valuable principle. The result is not charity at all. There is no LOVE emanating from any government. This in turn robs the faithful in the pews from performing true acts of charity. Under Subsidiarity, each parish, through the parishioners, should perform works of charity for the needs that are visible in their parish. If they are an affluent parish, they should adopt a poor parish as the target of their charity.
CRS has also become corrupted by the influence of the Federal money, and there are many more. We must divorce ourselves from the Govt. or we will continue to lose more and more of our Religious Liberty enshrined in the First Amendment.
” NETWORK ” is the group of heretical Nuns who wrote the letter to Congress against the Bishops in favor of OBAMACARE, and lied about abortion funding, do not care about Freedom of Religion, etc.
For the most part these are the same Nuns who promote and are active in the heretical LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious).
Sr. Simone Campbell head of ‘Nuns on the Bus’ who gets funding from atheist George Soros, was a recent officer of NETWORK, and also active in the LCWR.
She was a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 2012.
Here is a link to NETWORK’s web site:
https://www.networklobby.org/
They are a heretical political action committee of mostly Nuns that :
use marxist Saul Alinsky style of community organizing;
supports DEMOCRATS INCLUDING the majority of Democrats that support Abortion, and Same Sex Marriage, Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
NETWORK, LCWR, and NUNS on the BUS (who are many of the same people),
do NOT adhere to the Doctrine of the Faith as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition.
Sr. Simone Campbell of NUNS on the BUS, former Officer of Network, and LCWR member publically opposed the 2014 Hobby Lobby FREEDOM of RELIGION Court decision.
https://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2014/07/video-of-sister-simone-criticizing.html
– – – – – –
Here are a few whom NETWORK lists as partners on their own web site.
. . . CCHD – Campaign for Human Development;
. . . Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good;
. . . LCWR – Leadership Conference of Women Religious;
. . . Sisters of Mercy of the Americas;
and
. . . United States Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
https://www.networklobby.org/about-us/partners
I would like to know whom at the USCCB gave permission for NETWORK to use the Bishop’s Conference name !
ANY time you see the names “NETWORK”, “LCWR”, and/or “NUNS on the BUS”:- think heretics who do not adhere to the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition’ in entirety;
– think some funding by atheist George Soros who hates the Catholic Church;
– think many of the same Nuns who are active in all 3 groups – which makes them appear to have more support than they do;
– think political support of Democrats – especially those who support abortion, contraception, sodomy marriage, euthanasia, human cloning, and embryonic stem cell research;
– think groups of mostly NUNs who do not adhere to the CCC, because it does not support their political beliefs.
” Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Müller: LCWR Stands in ‘Open Provocation’ of Holy See ” 2014
https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-mueller-lcwr-stands-in-open-provocation-of-holy-see/
” Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious ” (includes NETWORK affiliation).
https://www.usccb.org/upload/Doctrinal_Assessment_Leadership_Conference_Women_Religious.pdf
NETWORK’s LETTER to CONGRESS supporting OBAMACARE (which opposed position of USCCB)
https://www.networklobby.org/legislation/catholic-sisters-letter-support-healthcare-reform-bill
Nuns Gone Wild: A Trip Down Memory Lane
https://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/04/nuns-gone-wild-a-trip-down-memory-lane/
‘It is time to revoke the Catholic status of the LCWR’
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1225
The title should have said: “Follow the Government Money, along with that of George Soros”.
All “Catholic charities” are required to adhere to “ON the SERVICE of CHARITY”
since Dec 2012.
https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20121111_caritas.html
CCHD, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, and CRS – not to mention some CA Bishops, and some USCCB Committees and staff, are in violation.
Kick the disobedient bums out !
This article is damning. It proves just how much these Nuns, and USCCB’s charities are in bed with the DEOMCRATS for the almighty dollar.
” In fact, more than $1.5 BILLION went to Catholic organizations over the past two years.” – this is much worse than I thought.
Pray that Jesus stops this evil of working for the government – using the name ‘Catholic’.
and returns everything Catholic to the Salvation of Souls.
Ok, here’s the scoop from Doroth Day’s Catholic Worker perspective. The following is from Peter Mauren’s Easy Essay. He helped found the Catholic Worker Movement with Dorthy Day.
Feeding the Poor at a Sacrifice
1. In the first centuries
of Christianity
the hungry were fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at personal sacrifice.
2. And because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the Christians
“See how they love each other.”
3. In our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed, sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
but at the expense
of the taxpayers.
4. And because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
the pagans say about the Christians
“See how they pass the buck.”
Wheels, I have no idea what Country you are from but in the USA, the poor not only get food, shelter and clothing, but also cell phones, designer jeans, designer shoes, beer, wine, chips, and other non-necessities at taxpayer expense.
Look at all the money for Subsidized Housing, government grants for ILLEGALS, food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.
Let us know how much is spent each year in the USA to take care of the abled bodied who are pretending to be poor
as well as those who legitimately are unable to care for themselves.
Btw Dorothy Day was at one time an admitted communist.
Andrew, please never refer to Medicare as something not earned. Each worker pays a percent of their wages each month to provide for Medicare payments after they turn 65 years old. (how congress uses the money is the real issue). Does a lot of government money go toward social programs? Yes. Why? Because our nation is becoming more and more divided between the super rich and the poor. The middle class is going away quickly. There are not enough jobs in this country. The tax money is spent on local pork projects – earmarks. Why, for example can’t we take the highway funds and rebuild our road system? That would put millions to work. Then we wouldn’t have one of the highest child-poverty rates in the industrialized world. Why can’t we build a good education system, so that our students don’t rank at the bottom of the industrial world? I could go on. Because our population doesn’t travel much, our good citizens don’t know what is going on in much of the rest of the world. They don’t know that our once exceptional country is no longer at the top of the heap or that other countries have surpassed us in many areas. Health care is another area where we could spend our money to improve a sagging system. We have the best specialist in the world, but our outcomes are way down the ladder compared to other developed nations. These are all issues that can be fixed, but not at the local level
Bob One, you are right about Medicare and Social Security. Workers have paid into them for years.
The issue is that the President and Congress do not limit the benefits in these particular programs to those who have paid into it – regardless of the amount.
Others who have never paid into those should fall under Medicaid – which is 100% charity.
Congress has spent the highway funds for non-highway and non-transportation projects that were not emergencies – which included Medicaid.
They also still force us to build bicycle lanes and sidewalks where there are no bikes or pedestrians.
Let us not forget that the USA is now in DEBT for OVER $18,000,000,000,000.00 (EIGHTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS).
https://www.usdebtclock.org/
Many States are billions of dollars in DEBT – and CA is now
$424,000,000,000.00 (FOUR HUNDRED and TWENTY FOUR BILLION) all by itself.
https://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-clocks/state-of-california-debt-clock.html
The USA is no longer a prosperous nation !
When are Bishops going to push the Feds and the States to pay their debts without borrowing – going deeper into debt,
as required by the Church’s teaching on COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE – “without which no other forms of justice are possible”.
CCC: 2411 ?
Instead the Bishops and their charities stand with their hands out for more Government money.
What typical leftist drivel, our educational system Bob One, we spend more than most industrialized nations, the Dept of Education could not for $700MM that it has spent, this is called fraud. If you recall the so called stimulus package back in 2009 was supposed to have “shovel ready jobs” well that was another lie brought to you by the ruling elite. And the lack of jobs is the result of Obama polices plain and simple he as expanded the welfare state to where almost 50MM people are on some form of government assistance this is pathetic. You seem to believe that Washington can resolve our problems, what a joke. Washington is the problem. Its power must be smashed and the ruling elite thrown in jail. Entire government depts need to audited and abolished once and for all. We also need term limits for all elected officials and appointed judges, balance budget amendments, the abolition of the income tax, have senators appointed by their state legislatures as it used to be, basically the reversal of nearly 100 years of so called progressive government. You want to resolve the health so called crisis, get government out if it completely. The cost increased because government became a third party, once people knew that an unaccountable 3rd party was involved there was no incentive to control costs.. its really quite simply..
Canisius, it is obvious that you are simply trying to bait people. Your call for anarchy is beyond your usual far right evocations. Why don’t you join the rest of us in the moderate middle, and then we can get something done and debate like educated people, not radio-talk-show host or Fox New blather..
When you take Caesar’s Coin – you become Caesar’s Stooge.
Unlike so many of the tenured professoriate in the pathetic farce of Catholic Academentia – who feed their Misandrist Hate by using the donations of the Faithful, to Attack and wherever possible degrade and destroy the Same Faith.
Give Unto Caesar that which is Caesars – including these Anti-Catholic Bigots masquerading as ‘teachers’ and ‘social justice’ scammers…
I say Let POTUS Barry ‘on the Down Low’ Soetoro and his hollyweird Gaystapo use their billions to Fund them, and leave the Church to fill its own Positive Progressive Mission.
“When you take Caesar’s Coin – you become Caesar’s Stooge.”
That is why JESUS never involved Himself with the government.
He never tied our responsibility to assist those truly in need to any government, but made it an individual responsibility to the best of each of our ability.
And He taught us: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
Mt 6″19-21.
Yes, there are many who are on the dole, and are social justice scammers, pretending to be good Catholics so they can dupe even more money from ignorant faithful Catholics who do not know the Faith accurately.
Keeping Catholics ignorant is why many Bishops do not actively encourage the literate to read the Bible and CCC at home.
This is a Mortal Sin of purposeful omission.
Follow the money. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
Hosea 4:6
” My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children. “
MAKE the US and State Governments do their own jobs in all matters.
The USCCB’s CCHD, Catholic Charities, and CRS must quit working for the government (grant money) as long as they profess to be Catholic.
Collectivism, socialism, communism and marxism violate Catholic social justice – per the CCC.
If they wish to become completely secular with no ties to the Church – that is their own business. Just leave us Catholics and our Bishops alone, so that we can donate to those truly in need and get back to the Salvation of Souls.
The Salvation of Souls should be the top priority of all Catholics, not the temporal or secular.
NEWS FLASH – March 3, 2015
” Government docs show CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS) ran abortifacient-pushing, sex-ed program in Kenya”
FOLLOW the (Government) MONEY
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/government-docs-show-crs-ran-abortifacient-pushing-sex-ed-program-in-kenya