OTTAWA (LSN.ca/CWNews.com) – The Canadian Catholic Bishops Conference (CCCB) has denounced the group “Catholics” For a Free Choice (CFFC). In a letter written March 15, and addressed to World Youth Day 2002 National Director Father Thomas Rosica, CCCB President Bishop Jacques Berthelet wrote that CFFC is “usurping the Church's name; indeed, it is in no way recognized as Catholic.”
The letter, concerning the anti-Catholic billboard campaign by CFFC, notes that the “roots and funding of Catholics for a Free Choice are found in the United States.” By this the bishop is referring to the fact that CFFC is a very low membership front group for a number of powerful anti-Catholic US foundations that vehemently oppose the Catholic Church's international influence on population-related and moral issues. Through CFFC, the Rockefeller, Ford, and Playboy Foundations, Ted Turner, and International Planned Parenthood have been attempting to sow confusion about the Church's position on these issues and to undermine the credibility and authority of Church leaders and institutions.
The CCCB letter quotes a similar statement by the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “Because of its opposition to the human rights of some of the most defenseless members of the human race, and because its purposes and activities deliberately contradict essential teachings of the Catholic faith, we state once again that Catholics for a Free Choice merits no recognition or support as a Catholic organization.”
The CFFC billboard campaign accuses the Church of being responsible for deaths due to her teachings on artificial contraception. The CCCB responded, “The notion that the Church is in any way thwarting efforts to bring solutions to the AIDS crisis is ludicrous. What of course is the ultimate solution to this epidemic is a change of heart, one that puts human dignity front and center and does not insult the resolve of people to live their sexuality according to God's will.”
The letter suggests using the CFFC situation as a “teaching moment” at World Youth Day. “What better way of dealing with this matter than young spokespersons affirming the Church's teaching regarding sexual relations?” CFFC has said it will conduct a campaign at World Youth Day in Toronto this July to influence young Catholics to believe their claims.
(This article courtesy of Catholic World News. To subscribe or for further information, contact subs@cwnews.com or visit www.cwnews.com.)
