Big Hearted Catholic Church And ACORN

Mr Ellis writes what a lot of Catholics think but are afraid to say or do. It's worth the time to read the full text.

"ACORN and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Big Hearts and Small Brains
by Ryan Ellis

Jesus told the first generation of bishops, the apostles, to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves. Up until very recently, this generation of bishops got it backwards when it came to ACORN.

There’s obviously been a lot of media attention this week on ACORN’s well-deserved meltdown. One aspect of this sad tale that should not be forgotten is the shameful way the Catholic Church has been played the fool over the years by ACORN."
Big Government » Blog Archive » ACORN and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Big Hearts and Small Brains

For about fifty years, Catholics attending Mass the Sunday after Thanksgiving have been met with a second offertory collection for the “Catholic Campaign for Human Development” (CCHD). This is an arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), essentially a trade association for the 200 or so diocesan bishops in the U.S.

This collection is divided so that 25% of funds go to the local, diocesan CCHD offfice, and the other 75% are kicked upstairs to the head CCHD office at the USCCB. So, the local bishop has a profit-sharing incentive to push the collection. Parish pastors, even if they’re uncomfortable with where CCHD monies ultimately end up, don’t feel as if they can ruffle feathers with their boss to whom they have pledged a lifetime of obedience, the bishop. At my parish, and I would guess most other orthodox parishes, it’s offered without comment by the pastor (which savvy people can interpret as they see fit).

CCHD sent millions to ACORN over the past decade. We all know what ACORN did. Increasingly, it appeared that the Catholic Church was using the faithful’s monies to fund a group which steals elections for pro-abortion candidates for office. Many, including myself, were livid.

Today, the CCHD continues to state that ACORN receives no money, and that better safeguards are in place. However, one must ask the following questions:

1. Why did anyone think it was a good idea to fund ACORN in the first place?
2. Did those decision makers get fired, or are they still appropriating our money?
3. Why would anyone be stupid enough to give to this collection ever again?
4. Why haven’t the bishops disbanded CCHD, or at least made the collection optional for parishes?

Here is what I did, and what I would recommend to anyone. At my parish, 7 percent of the general collection every week is kicked upstairs to the diocese as a kind of tax or tribute. Because dollars are fungible, I don’t want that to happen with my money. So, I give only to capital campaign collections at my parish, which all stays there. My pastor is happy to receive my contribution any way in which I feel comfortable, and I’ve fulfilled my canon law obligation to support my parish financially (221.1).