Real Catholic Blog

How can it be that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development still contributes money it collects at Mass to the corrupt organization known as ACORN? For years, ACORN was a beneficiary of the campaign, but that was before the public at large was aware of what this organization does and what it stands for. Recently, undercover journalists had several ACORN officials condone and even encourage what they thought was a prostitution ring. Last year, its fraudulent voter registration efforts were uncovered prompting FBI and attorneys general investigations in several states. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops promised that its partnership with ACORN, through CCHD, was done.

Apparently, not. That’s unfortunate. Now, several prominent Catholics are advocating a boycott of November’s collection for CCHD and, instead, give that money to righteous Catholic groups who do charity work CCHD purports to do, such as the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society or your own parish’s poor box.  

Here is an excerpt of a letter published by noted political activist and Catholic Richard Viguerie:

You probably think you’ve never given money to ACORN and its allies. But if you’ve contributed to the annual November Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) appeal of the Catholic bishops, you’ve done just that.

Each November, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asks Catholics across the United States to contribute to the CCHD. Until last year, much of this money collected by the bishops’ appeal was funneled directly to ACORN.

Are you going to again let the bishops use your contributions — money that’s intended for charity — to promote extreme left-wing causes such as taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand? …

Scandals have forced the bishops to stop funding ACORN directly, but they still fund other groups closely tied to ACORN — groups that have the same aims and that use the same methods to promote a left-wing, extremist agenda.

Catholics are led to believe that their contributions to CCHD are used to help the poor — funding soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other worthwhile projects that provide aid to the least fortunate among us.

In fact, it appears almost none of the money goes to the poor. Rather, it goes to organizations that engage in “community organizing” to promote a political agenda that many Catholics would find abhorrent, if only they knew. CCHD’s stated goal is “breaking the cycle of poverty,” but CCHD-funding organizations support policies that make it next to impossible for the poor to escape their circumstances. …

ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) received some $7.3 million from the CCHD in 1998-2008, and even more in earlier years. ACORN’s direct funding from CCHD was cut off in 2008, but only because of an eight-year-old embezzlement scandal that made it impossible to get a proper accounting of the money. It appears that the Bishops’ problem was with ACORN’s poor “accounting” practices, rather than with the goals and tactics of a group that blurs the distinction between a radical political organization and a Mafia-style racket.

ACORN is currently under investigation or indictment in 20 states for voter fraud. Its New Orleans headquarters, in a former funeral home, served as the address of more than 270 organizations, real or imaginary, most of which have received taxpayer funds. (Recent legislation makes ACORN and allied organizations eligible for billions of dollars more from federal, state, and local governments in the years to come.)

Recently, two fearless young people, carrying a hidden camera, showed that ACORN employees in a number of cities stood ready and eager to facilitate such criminal activities as tax fraud and the prostitution of underage illegal aliens.

Ralph McCloud, CCHD’s executive director, admitted to the Catholic News Service that “some of the funds that the Catholic Campaign contributed to ACORN in the past undoubtedly were used for voter registration drives.” Most, perhaps all, of those drives were conducted in support of politicians who support abortion-on-demand and other policies that most Catholics oppose.

Don’t be fooled by the CCHD’s recent cut-off of direct aid to ACORN. CCHD continues to fund other organizations that are clones of ACORN or closely allied with ACORN.

Read more about it here at Viguerie’s blog. He has a petition there that you can sign. He also asks that you forward it to as many people as possible to increase awareness of the situation with CCHD.