Catholic Charities Caves In Deal Hudson 10
Apr 03
Catholic
Charities is losing its Catholic identity.
From
Crisis Magazine
Well,
the news is in, and unfortunately, it’s not good. Catholic Charities of
Boston
has decided to take Voice of the Faithful’s (VOTF) money after all.
Bishop
Lennon
didn’t have much to say about the decision, releasing a short statement
that
said only that he was "disappointed" but, for the sake of unity,
wouldn’t
pursue
the matter further at this time.
I
can’t say I’m too surprised. Catholic Charities took VOTF funds
last year after
Cardinal
Law turned them down, so they don’t have much of a problem with VOTF
itself.
I don’t know what Bishop Lennon really could have done to stop them,
especially
being in the sticky situation of trying to restore unity to a diocese
that
has been so badly torn apart.
I
understand with all that’s on his plate that Bishop Lennon wants to keep
some
semblance
of peace after making his position clear -- all of us have to choose
when
and where to take on a fight. I just hope that the decision won’t cause
him
bigger
problems down the road. What really concerns me is the message this sends:
Catholic
Charities completely ignored the bishop’s wishes -- his direct request
that
they refuse the money.
Some
people have been asking me, 'What’s the big deal? Money is money, after
all,
and
it’s going to a good cause." On the surface, it does sort of look
like
cutting
off your nose to spite your face.
But
the problem runs deeper than that.
The
plain fact of it is that Catholic Charities has helped to legitimize VOTF at
the
expense of the bishop and his authority. Catholic Charities has pulled the
rug
out from under Lennon by disobeying his wishes, while at the same time giving
credibility
to an organization that has already positioned itself in opposition
to
the hierarchy of the diocese. One has to wonder who Catholic Charities will
take
its marching orders from in the future.
Yes,
the money will be useful, but can Catholic Charities afford the price at
which
it comes? I personally know of donors who were expecting a different
decision
from the organization, and they might not be so willing to help Catholic
Charities
in the future if they continue to defy their bishop. They could very
well
lose money in the long-run for doing business with VOTF.
The
irony is that by accepting VOTF money, Catholic Charities has alienated some
important
donors for years to come. Not a very wise long-term strategy.
I
hope the national office of Catholic Charities will take this opportunity to
encourage
its regional branches to work in tandem with their bishop and diocese,
rather
than defying their authority as the Boston branch has done. Many people
have
had lingering suspicions that Catholic Charities is losing its Catholic
identity,
and this step by Boston might confirm their fears.
Let’s
hope this isn’t the direction of Catholic Charities for the future.
Deal