"Ten Catholic bishops teamed up with a pro-Planned Parenthood group to a release a report this week that urges Catholic organizations to fund groups linked to the promotion of abortion and other acts opposed by the Church....The opening pages of the report include a list of endorsing groups and individuals, including nine retired U.S. bishops (LifeSiteNews.com, 6/14/13). The endorsing groups included the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, as well as a local order - the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill. The report is dedicated to one of the endorsing bishops, Joseph M. Sullivan, who passed away on 6/7/13:
-
"Empowering low-income citizens to advocate for living wages, quality health care,
immigrant rights and responsible land stewardship is central to fulfilling a Catholic vision
for the common good. This mission is threatened when groups like the American Life League
and the Reform CCHD Now coalition use McCarthy-era tactics to create a culture of fear around
community organizing.
"While ideological attacks against the bishops’ anti-poverty Campaign are not new, a more aggressive and effective network of conservative religious activists has emerged in recent years. These groups, which have targeted individual bishops and diocesan officials, are pushing some church leaders away from engaging in social justice coalitions that have an established record of success.
"The individuals and organizations endorsing this report support several recommendations to combat growing threats to critical anti-poverty work funded by the Catholic Church:
* Catholic leaders should resist efforts from the American Life League and other pressure groups to isolate Catholic-funded organizations from effective coalitions that are improving the lives of low-income citizens.
* More prudent theological and practical assessments are needed before CCHD grants are pulled from successful organizations simply because of an organization’s association with other groups or coalitions.
* Diocesan officials and CCHD staff at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should convene public dialogue sessions with a diverse group of anti-poverty experts, social justice advocates, theologians and community organizers with the goal of strengthening CCHD partnerships and finding common ground.
* Lay Catholics concerned about protecting the church’s social justice witness in public life should redouble their commitment to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development through donations, letters of support to bishops and volunteering" ("Be Not Afraid?" Guilt by Association, Catholic McCarthyism and Growing Threats to the U.S. Bishops’ Anti-Poverty Mission, Faith in Public Life, June 2013).
As mentioned, the report is dedicated to one of the endorsing bishops:
-
"Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan, whose work on behalf of the poor and
downtrodden for Catholic Charities in Brooklyn and Queens earned him
national recognition, died on Friday as a result of injuries from a car
accident....Bishop Sullivan played
an instrumental role in the formation of St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical
Centers and served as chairman of the Social Development and World Peace
Department of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops....
"Joseph Michael Sullivan was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on March 23, 1930, one of 11 children of Thomas and Margaret Sullivan. In 1948, after graduating from St. Michael’s Diocesan High School, he spent a season playing minor league baseball with the Americus Phillies in Georgia....He received a master’s degree from the Fordham University School of Social Work in 1961 and a master’s in public administration from New York University in 1971” (NY Times, 6/8/13).
"The pope did not give him the responsibility of serving a local church as its chief shepherd. Yet the retired auxiliary bishop exerted wide influence over the U.S. church for decades....
"In 1995, Sullivan...[and 39] other bishops coauthored a document...[which] said many issues facing the church -- including 'women and equality in the church,' the annulment process, contraception, 'the kind of candidates being attracted to the priesthood' and the ordination of married men -- were not being addressed openly....
"Following his work as the bishops' liaison to Catholic Charities, Sullivan served as the prelates' official liaison to the Catholic Health Association from July 2000 until December 2008....Sullivan served on the organization's board from 1984 to 1990 and was its chairperson from 1990 to 1991" (National Catholic Reporter, 6/12/13).
Though Bishop Sullivan was about 30 years older, we grew up on the same Brooklyn street. Bishop Sullivan was waked from the same funeral home and buried from the same parish, as was my father about 30 years ago. It was at my father's funeral that I last saw Bishop Sullivan's mom. Mrs. Sullivan was indeed a saint, and she did not hesitate to chase myself and others from playing ball in her driveway. Over the years, I've wondered what her thoughts would be to some of her son's...positions.
No comments:
Post a Comment