Have They No Sense of Decency?

.

Extremist forces pressure the Catholic Campaign
for Human Development to deny funding to the
Land Stewardship Project because of its connections
to two progressive coalitions. It's a sad story,
says Ed Flahavan, who likens it to the
'guilt by association'-days of McCarthyism.

By Ed Flahavan


Some of us remember that in the early 1950's U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy was riding high in the saddle raising havoc in the nation by making public accusations of widespread Communist infiltration into the administration of President Harry Truman, the U.S. State department, even in the U.S. Army.

Those were toxic, frightening times, fueled by the fear of atheistic Communism and the new media tool, television. He riveted the nation's attention for four long years, using innuendo and guilt by association tactics. Finally one day he was stopped by a simple question from a brave witness on the stand, “Have you no sense of decency, Sir?”

Senator McCarthy's balloon was burst that day. He was shortly thereafter censured by the full U.S. Senate and died a broken man at age 48, less than three years later.

Those “guilt by association” days are back, it seems. Just ask the folks at Land Stewardship Project (LSP), the MN nonprofit that “fosters an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promotes sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities.” All essential goals for a free society.

In July the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) announced a $48,000 grant for a LSP project in SE Minnesota, in the Winona diocese, to promote immigration worker rights, environmental stewardship and leader development. It represented LSP's largest ever grant from CCHD in a proud and amicable funding history that stretched back twenty five years.

The grant was never awarded however. Why? Because LSP declined to drop its membership in the Minnesota Council on Nonprofits and TakeAction Minnesota after being told to cut its ties with these two groups or forfeit the grant monies. Both progressive membership groups contribute immensely to the efficient operation and effectiveness of LSP. It was not an easy decision to make.

The bishop of Winona, John M. Quinn, was the enforcer of the condition. Why would he do such a thing? His predecessor, Bernard J. Harrington, never did. What is so wrong with these two membership organizations? What's the backstory here?

Enter the American Life League (ALL), a fiercely Catholic, national, self-appointed, anti-abortion watchdog group. Founded in 1979, ALL has expanded its focus and is now particularly proud of its investigations of CCHD grantee groups exposing “many pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-contraception, and Marxist organizations” receiving funding from CCHD. Wow!

LSP's crime? Membership in the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and TakeAction Minnesota! Why, you ask? Because both these well respected, progressive groups oppose the Marriage Amendment initiative on November's ballot.

There's the connection, the reason for the squeeze play! It's called guilt by association. Here's ALL's apparent reasoning: “These two groups [MNCNP and TA MN] promote gay marriage. You are fellow travelers. Play by our rules or you don't get your CCHD grant money.” The ALL folks play hard ball; all they need to succeed is a bishop who will fold to their crazy accusations and go along.

It's a very sad story. When CCHD was first created by the Catholic bishops, it earned immediate, enthusiastic support by Catholics in the nation's pews. It was the American Catholic Church's “boots on the ground” social change partnership with self-determination groups to end poverty by empowering its victims. The first national CCHD collection, in November 1969, was the largest in U.S. Catholic Church history.

For over forty years CCHD has funded groups that often challenged the status quo thereby “casting down the mighty from their thrones.” They “raised up the lowly,” empowered victims of poverty, racism and powerlessness. They made us proud to be Catholics promoting human development.

Of course, due diligence means ensuring that all grantee projects are authentic, trustworthy and not working at cross purposes with church teaching. The local bishop has always had the final say at the end of the funding process. In the early years of CCHD, a veto was almost unheard of. But as church leadership moves to the right and Gestapo-like groups grow and become more powerful, more irrational, I suppose we should not be surprised at anything. Saddened? Yes. Surprised? No.

Defeated? - also No. An anonymous donor has come forward with a $25,000 matching challenge grant to replace the denied $48,000. Dig deep if you can in the next six weeks, and mail your check to:

LSP Southeast MN Field Office

180 E. Main St./ Box 139

Lewiston, MN 55952

Your gift will be doubled.

And let us pray with the Psalmist, “How long, Oh Lord? How long?”



Ed Flahavan was St. Paul and Minneapolis Diocesan Director for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (1969-77) and a member of CCHD's National Committee (1973-75), serving as its chair in 1975.


Recommended Off-site Links:
Catholic Guilt by Association: How Minnesota Marriage Amendment Politics Hurt Land Stewardship Project - David Brauer (MinnPost, October 24, 2012).
Marriage Fight Costs Environmental Group Catholic Grant - Rose French (Star Tribune, October 27, 2012).
Resigned Priest Ed Flahavan: I Have Heard the Arguments for the Marriage Amendment and I Find Them Wanting, Prejudicial and Destructive - Sensus Fidelium (May 17, 2012).