Faith in Public Life

Report: How “Catholic McCarthyism” Hurts Effective Anti-Poverty Efforts

John Gehring — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:29:15 +0000

A Faith in Public Life report released today documents how a network of conservative Catholic organizations is targeting effective social justice initiatives funded by the U.S. bishops’ national anti-poverty campaign and creating a toxic climate of fear around community organizing.

Be Not Afraid? – Guilt by Association, Catholic McCarthyism and Growing Threats to the U.S. Bishops’ Anti-Poverty Mission includes interviews with retired bishops, community development experts and non-profit directors whose organizations have lost church funding because of associations with groups that support same-sex marriage. These issues are in the news this week as Catholic leaders in Chicago consider defunding local groups that work with the poor because of their membership in an immigrant rights coalition that supports allowing same-sex couples to marry.

The American Life League, a Catholic pro-life organization with a $6 million budget, has led the charge. Their witch-hunt approach is having an impact and pushing some bishops to back away from effective organizations that put Catholic social teaching into practice:

The Land Stewardship Project, a Minnesota non-profit that for five consecutive years received church funds, abruptly lost a $48,000 CCHD grant to help immigrant farmers in 2012 because of an association with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and TakeAction Minnesota. Those two groups work on diverse social justice issues supported by Catholic teaching, but did not endorse the Minnesota bishops’ efforts to fight same-sex marriage. The stewardship project does not work on marriage issues and never took a position on the state’s 2012 marriage ballot initiative.

Companeros, a small non-profit in rural southwestern Colorado that helps immigrants with basic social services and legal aid, lost church funds that amounted to half of its budget because of its association with a statewide immigrant rights coalition that included a single gay and lesbian advocacy group. Companeros did not and does not work on gay rights issues.

In 2012-13 alone, five affiliates of the Gamaliel Foundation – one of the nation’s largest networks of faith-based community organizers – lost CCHD funds.

Conservative Catholic activists who try to dismiss the report can’t simply ignore retired bishops, former top officials at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other prominent church leaders who endorsed it. As Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza, a former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told me:

At a time when poverty is growing and people are hurting we should not withdraw from our commitment to helping the poor. Catholic identity is far broader than opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. Catholic identity is a commitment to living the Gospel as Jesus proclaimed it, and this must include a commitment to those in poverty.

The most zealous, self-appointed guardians of Catholic identity today can be so busy playing purity police that they miss the essence of the Gospels. Jesus warned against moral arrogance and scandalized the religious establishment by eating with prostitutes. He reminded the high priests of his time that their vigilance toward the letter of law meant little if the spirit of the law was ignored. When 1 in 5 children live in poverty, pulling the plug on effective social justice organizations simply because of a group’s associations or legitimate need to work in coalition for the common good is unimaginable. It throws prudence and proportionality out the window.

Catholic bishops put plenty of institutional muscle and significant funding behind campaigns to fight same-sex marriage. I hope they can show the same energy to make sure their own anti-poverty efforts are not strangled by culture war fights.

NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus” Arrive in Texas during 15-State Tour

Casey Schoeneberger — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:27:58 +0000

From June 8th to June 11th, NETWORK’s “Nuns on the Bus” will rally with Texas people of faith, labor leaders, and immigration activists at events across the lone star state to urge lawmakers, including Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, to forge ahead for immigration legislation that values America’s highest ideals and allows aspiring Americans the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Catholic Sisters on the 6,500-mile tour, 15-state tour are urging lawmakers across the country to support legislation that provides a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans, promotes family unity, and protects the rights of all immigrant workers. The tour, which began in the shadow of Ellis Island last week, has drawn large and enthusiastic crowds of supporters in state after state on the route to Texas.

The tour is called “NETWORK Nuns on the Bus: A Drive for Faith, Family, and Citizenship.”

Featuring Catholic Sisters from around the country, and sponsored by NETWORK, the bus is stopping at historical landmarks, driving through the Southern states, plains of Texas and border towns throughout the Southwest. Sisters are rallying with community members at more than 50 faith-based agencies and local congressional offices to lift up the voices of both aspiring Americans and citizens who have been impacted by America’s broken immigration system. Catholic Sisters stand with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in calling for immigration reform that addresses the root causes of migration and provides a roadmap to citizenship for fellow neighbors, colleagues, and friends seeking protection from further senseless exploitation.

Click Here for Complete Itinerary!

Resurrecting the Loaves and Fishes

Casey Schoeneberger — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:56:18 +0000

In March 2013, FPL helped organized a nationwide “Loaves and Fishes” day during which faith communities in 16 states held 21 different events invoking Jesus’ miracle of the loaves and fish. The goal was to send a potent reminder to Congress and state legislatures to protect families and seniors, reject austerity, and remind them that we have enough for everyone in this country. There were seven deliveries of loaves and fish, including one to Rep. Paul Ryan’s office in Janesville, WI. Jewish groups participated using matzo and gefilte fish. Additionally, FPL produced an animated video asking why lawmakers are choosing to worship at the “altar of deficit reduction.” Together with PICO National Network, Interfaith Worker Justice, NETWORK: a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Bread for the World, Catholics United, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, and others, we lifted the voice of the faith community across the country to tell our lawmakers that “it doesn’t take a miracle to make a moral budget.”

Preventing Gun Violence

Casey Schoeneberger — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:55:07 +0000

After the tragedy in Newtown, many foresaw swift passage of comprehensive new gun violence prevention legislation. And yet, the gun lobby’s massive $250 million budget has allowed it to successfully pressure legislators to protect gun “freedom.” Faith in Public Life has worked tirelessly to bring the prospect of new legislation back from the brink through rallies, marches, sign-on letters, and phone banks. Our efforts have lifted the voices of Catholics, mainline Protestants, and evangelical Christians, as well as Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and others. Among the highlights of these efforts: teaming up with Mayors Against Illegal Guns to generate more than 4,700 calls from voters of faith to Senators in ten key states in March and April 2013; media outreach to generate press coverage for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s national call day, during which voters of many faiths placed 10,000 calls to Senators; and media support to Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence. During the 2013 March for Life in Washington, FPL coordinated a statement signed by more than 60 prominent Catholic theologians, priests, nuns, and justice leaders that drew great media attention, including a New York Times story featured on the front page of the National section.

Nuns on the Bus

Casey Schoeneberger — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:54:36 +0000

Following the Vatican’s surprising crackdown on women religious and Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) false assertions that his proposed federal budget that would slash the social safety net reflected Catholic Social Teaching, Faith in Public Life and fellow progressive organizations recognized an opportunity to re-affirm the work of Catholic sisters while simultaneously denouncing Rep. Ryan’s immoral budget choices. Seizing that unique media environment, FPL played a pivotal role in devising the “Nuns on the Bus” strategy, a nine-state tour through Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states highlighting the work of Catholic-sponsored social service agencies that serve those on the economic margins and stand to be harmed by Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal. FPL directed “Nuns on the Bus” media strategy and amplified the Catholic Sisters’ moral messaging on the economy with media training, press materials, coordinated press events, and cable booking expertise. A FPL staffer acted as the traveling press liaison, ensuring media coverage in over 1,400 national and local outlets including the Associated Press, CNN, CBS Evening News, New York Times and Washington Post.

The Golden Calf: Highlighting the Idolatry of Greed, and Religious Participation in Occupy Wall Street

Original Gravity — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:31:57 +0000

Faith in Public Life worked with other faith groups, notably Catholics United, to construct a paper mâché golden calf in the midst of the Fall 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests. The calf, a potent symbol from Scripture, symbolized the idolatry of greed, materialism, and excess. FPL traveled to New York with the calf and joined an interfaith service and march at Zuccotti Park, helping catalyze the religious element of the Occupy protests and telling a national story in the media about the moral dimensions of the movement.

Ayn Rand vs. the Bible: Challenging Immoral Economic Priorities

Original Gravity — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:31:24 +0000

Faith in Public Life worked with key allies in the faith community to expose the contradiction between conservative lawmakers’ devotion to Ayn Rand’s economic philosophy and their professed Christian values. FPL worked with Catholics United leader James Salt, who, along with FPL staff, caught up with Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) after a speech at a Religious Right conference and challenged Rep. Ryan for basing his federal budget plan on the teachings of Rand rather than principles of social justice. The encounter, which aired on MSNBC’s The Ed Show and earned extensive online news coverage, also earned over 50,000 views on YouTube, forced Rep. Ryan onto the defensive about his misguided priorities for the federal budget and deficit reduction and helped build the values component of the economic debate

Profession of Faith at Georgetown

Casey Schoeneberger — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:57:11 +0000

As part of a larger FPL effort to call out Representative Paul Ryan for falsely characterizing his conservative fiscal beliefs as consistent with his Catholic faith, FPL rallied support from nearly 90 Georgetown faculty members to sign a letter of protest to coincide with Ryan’s visit to the campus in March 2012. The signers – including over a dozen Georgetown Jesuit priests and professors of theology, history and government – did not object to Ryan speaking on campus, but offered a stinging critique of his distortion of Catholic values. The scholars also sent Ryan a copy of the Vatican’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, commissioned by the late Pope John Paul II, so he could brush up on his Church teaching. The effort earned widespread media coverage, including 188 media hits in the Associated Press, Reuters, Politico, the Washington Post, and Religion News Service, and cable bookings on CNN, Fox, and MSNBC for FPL-trained spokespeople.

National Clergy Leaders Urge Protection of Family Unity as Senate Immigration Markup Proceeds

Casey Schoeneberger — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:43 +0000

(Washington, DC) – As the Senate Judiciary Committee begins the markup of the Immigrant Visa Title II section of the bipartisan immigration bill, prominent clergy leaders are lifting up their prophetic voices and strongly supporting amendments that would strengthen family unity. The faith community remains committed to pro-family immigration reform that unites immigrant families, and is supporting amendments offered by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) that would restore the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their siblings and married children over 30, and allow individuals with registered provisional immigrant status to sponsor their immediate family members outside of the United States.

To arrange media interviews, please contact Casey Schoeneberger at 202-569-4254 or casey@faithinpubliclife.org

While the current immigration reform bill, S. 744, includes some positive provisions that would improve family reunification, it would also eliminate the ability for U.S. citizens to sponsor their siblings and married children over the age of 30. The following quotes from clergy and social justice leaders demonstrate the faith community’s support for amendments that would improve the current immigration reform bill’s family provisions, and opposition to proposals that would prevent family reunification:

Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Los Angeles Conference:

“The strength of any society always begins with strong families. Therefore, it is crucial that the Senate Judiciary Committee pass amendments that strengthen the family immigration system. Important changes to S. 744 include allowing individuals with registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status to sponsor their spouse and children outside of the U.S. and reunifying same-sex family members. No one deserves to be cut off from the strongest bond in life they will ever have – their family. As a Christian, I urge the Senate to strengthen our family immigration system for as they do so, they will strengthen our country as well.”

Lisa Sharon Harper, Director of Mobilizing, Sojourners:

“As people of faith, we should urge Senate Judiciary Committee members to support amendments that strengthen an immigration system that protects families. We pray that our leaders will work to preserve the family unity of aspiring Americans as they seek an earned pathway to citizenship.

Christians should strongly urge members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose any amendment that would make it more difficult for families to stay together.”

Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service:

“CWS’s diverse network of member communions and local refugee resettlement offices across the country knows firsthand the value of family unity. As we welcome refugees and assist with immigration legal services, we’ve witnessed the heartbreak caused by our current immigration system. CWS applauds the bipartisan group of Senators’ effort to reform our immigration system, but the bill must keep families together. CWS is fully supportive of the family amendments being offered by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), which seek to improve the immigration bill by restoring the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their siblings and married children, regardless of age. We urge all members of the Senate Judiciary to vote for these amendments that would promote family unity.”

Sister Anne Curtis, RSM, Leadership Team of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy:

“As the Senate Judiciary Committee considers amendments to immigrant visas in Title II, we remind our elected officials that faith communities prioritize family unity in addition to a pathway to citizenship. If the final version of the immigration bill does not provide registered provisional immigrants (RPIs) the ability to sponsor their spouse and children, the law would fail to meet the expectations of many faith traditions and organizations. We believe in order to cherish the human dignity of our immigrant brother and sisters and create a strong social fabric; we cannot deny immediate family members being together.”

Sister Mary Ellen Lacy, NETWORK , A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby:

“Family unity is an extremely high priority for us. Our faith teaches us to recognize and hold up the sacredness of family. Immigrant families must be made whole in order to live as God intended them to live This reality calls us to establish a compassionate and inclusive immigration process which will reunite all family members, including adult children and siblings.”

Bishop Alan Scarfe, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa:

“The idea of limiting the definition of family in the new immigration legislation reminds me that we may not have moved as forward in our thinking as we may assume from the time when we brought people here as slaves and tore up their family structure or forced people off their native lands without regard for the unity of their families. It takes centuries to develop a compassionate people. This is a time for one nation under God to not be afraid of our own gifts and generosity. ”

United States Provincials of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd:

“Since the Order of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd was founded in France in 1835, the Order has dedicated itself to serving poor and marginal people. The work of the Sisters in 70 countries in 5 continents, 22 States, and 2 U.S. Territories is based on the belief that everyone, regardless of age, sex, culture or religion, has the right to a basic quality of life; adequate income, shelter, opportunities for education and employment, quality health care, and nutrition. As Catholics, our faith requires that everyone should be treated with the utmost dignity and respect.

Based upon that belief system, the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd requests that you enact fair and comprehensive immigration reform. This reform should include a path to citizenship, preference for family unity, and job portability which allows workers to change employers. Further, we call for an end to laws and policies that provide for detention for months without charges, secret hearings, and ethnic profiling.”

Janet Mock, CSJ, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious:

“Our broken immigration system too often splits families, separates spouses, and keeps parents from their children. Families are the building blocks of our society. Our nation needs, and our people deserve, immigration reform that reflects the paramount importance of family unity.

We have the opportunity to honor parents who have sacrificed their own safety and risked their lives for the future of their children. We have the opportunity to reunite mothers with their sons, fathers with their daughters and sisters and brothers with their parents and siblings. If we fail to act, we not only place the well-being of our families, we threaten the heart and soul of our nation.”

Bishop Prince Singh, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, New York:

“When our immigration policy protects the unity and cultural integrity of ‘family’ as understood by those who make our country their home, our common life, security and prosperity are enhanced in the long run.”

Rt. Rev. Kirk S. Smith, Episcopal Diocese of Arizona:

“I support family immigration, and don’t believe that the Senate can restrict the definition of family. It is critical that families be kept together, and citizens need to be able to continue to sponsor their children and loved ones. I find these proposed provisions especially troubling in the refugee resettlement context. For many refugees, a sibling or an adult married child is the only surviving relative with whom they can reunite.”

Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister, Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ:

“Family is a core value of the Latina/Latino community. We do not see ourselves as totally independent individuals, but rather as members of an extended community of shared values and blood ties. The tragedy of the present immigration system is that it has kept many families separated from those who are our kin. Family reunification is critical for us and we ask that the Senate take into consideration our traditional family values as they consider the Immigrant Visa Title II of the immigration bill. We ask the Senators to improve the likelihood for family members to be reunited in as short as possible a period of time.”

Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Mansholt, Bishop of the Central States Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

“Families being whole and healthy are of vital importance to Lutheran congregations and local communities. The love, commitment, and support of family is a great gift that creates purpose for individuals, is central to our faith, and grounds the very structure of our society. In recognition of the importance of families, Congress should support amendments to comprehensive immigration reform that expand the ability of families to reunite.” [The Central States Synod includes Missouri and Kansas]

Ronald J. Degges, President, Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada denomination:

“As Christians committed to God’s call to ‘welcome the stranger’ and to promote the wholeness and well-being of families, Disciples’ leaders recognize that family unity is not only a national issue, but a personal and church issue as well. We constantly encounter immigrants in our churches whose parents and children, and grandparents and spouses, have been torn apart from one another for years. Such separation causes wrenching pain, and diminishes families’ abilities to focus upon education, progress, and contributions to our society.

Therefore, we strongly support the Senate Judiciary Committee in passing amendments that allow US citizens to sponsor siblings and married children over 30, hopefully without any age limit, but at minimum to age 39. We promote legislation that increases the likelihood that family members can be reunited, and that allows individuals with RPI status to sponsor their spouse and children outside of the US. To not do so can result– as in the case of one of our immigrant pastors recently– in the heartbreaking death of a spouse overseas, despite years of processing and waiting, paying and praying for a reunion under our current broken system.”

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African Americans Overwhelmingly Support Immigration Reform

Casey Schoeneberger — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:34:01 +0000

New poll and clergy leaders show black community rejects politics of division

(Washington, DC) – A poll released today by the Service Employees International Union, conducted by Hart Research Associates, shows that African Americans overwhelmingly support immigration reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring Americans. Nationally prominent black clergy leaders applauded and echoed this finding.

“For far too long politicians have used immigration to divide Americans along racial lines,” said Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, President of the Skinner Leadership Institute. “But African Americans are rejecting the politics of division and saying that giving our immigrant neighbors the opportunity to become citizens reflects Christian values of justice, compassion and equality.”

In response to the poll question asking “Do you favor or oppose allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the country and eventually qualify for U.S. citizenship, as long as they meet certain requirements like paying taxes, learning English, and passing a background check,” 92% of African Americans said they favored citizenship, and 74% favored it strongly. Overall, just 8% of African Americans said they opposed this policy.

“Any speculation that African Americans oppose immigration reform is incorrect,” said Dr. Carroll A. Baltimore, Sr., President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. “What I hear from people in the pews is that no one should be trapped in second-class status, regardless of race or where you were born. Now is the time to build a road to citizenship for aspiring Americans.”

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CONTACT: Casey Schoeneberger, 202-569-4254, casey@faithinpubliclife.org