3
street roots
July 18, 2014
Day laborer group loses church funding over marriage equality
BY JOANNE ZUHL
and its CCHD grant, which runs out this
September. Merced said they probably
wouldn’t apply for another.
“To go through these moral hoops with
them (it’s not worth it),” Merced said.
“While we have a pretty good relationship
with the Catholic Church here, we will go.
elsewhere to find the money.”
STAFF W R ITE R
oz Workers’ Rights Education Project,
Portland’s day laborer organization,
was recently faced with a difficult
decision: Either pursue a promising $75,000
grant through the Catholic Campaign for
Human Development, or forfeit the money
and stay in solidarity with equal rights,
It chose equal rights. It was an easy
decision for the group, but a tough
conclusion to a long relationship.
n recent years, CCHD has been under
The Catholic Campaign for Human
pressure from right-leaning groups saying
Development, or CCHD, is the national
the CCHD is awarding grants to
funding arm of the Catholic Church for
organizations whose agenda is in conflict
grassroots, member-led organizations such
with Catholic teachings, a violation of the
as Voz. It has supported Voz for years and
terms of its grants. In 2010, Street Roots
helpéd fund Voz’s worker center on Martin
reported on the trend by CCHD nationally
Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The $75,000
to defund or refuse grants to organizations
grant proposal would hâve helped Voz fund
that affiliate or partnered with groups that
leadership development, organizing and
supported gay rights or abortion. That
P H O TO COURTESY OF V O Z
education to combat wage theft, a common
included Street Roots, which was told it
Members
ofVoz
Workers'
Rights
Education
Project
march
in
a
recent
M
artin
Luther
K
ing
Jr.
problem among day laborers.
could not receive funding for listing Planned
parade in Portland. The group was declined fu nding from the Catholic Campaign for H um an
El Hispanic News broke the story earlier
Parenthood in a resource guide of local
Development because o f its membership with a national organization that supports marriage
this month that Voz had withdrawn its
services for the poor. Likewise, left-leaning
equality.
application after CCHD urged it to drop its
groups see CCHD’s approach as extreme in
affiliation with the National Council of La
denying funding on a “guilt by association”
Raza because NCLR supports marriage
platform that interferes with community
Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human
The day laborers themselves also
equality. NCLR is the nation’s largest Latino
organizing.
Development are clearly stated in the pre
convened to talk about what was at stake
civil rights organization and is currently
In 2013, in a case recorded in the Chicago
application, application, and on the CCHD
and come to a consensus before making a
advocating on behalf of the récent wave of
Tribune, CCHD cut off funding to eight .
website. A local CCHD grant contains the
decision.
undocumented children crossing the border
Chicago-area groups who continued their
same criteria.” That includes a statement
“No one knew what that conversation
affiliation with the Illinois Coalition for
from Mexico.
that “CCHD cannot fund groups that are
Immigrant and Refugee Rights, or ICRR,
“Basically we said we stand for NCLR and would look like going in, but I think it was a
powerful moment just to see everyone come part of coalitions or other organizations with after the ICRR voted to support same-sex
we stand for values, and we hope that
purposes or agendas
together and unite and agree that what
marriage on its -
CCHD will one day stand with us,” Ranfis
that conflict with
CCHD was asking us to do was wrong,”
political agenda.
Villatoro, development director with Voz
fundamental Catholic "This was over a coni ereace
Last summer, John
Villatoro said.
told Street Roots. Villatoro said the request
Gehring,
a former
social and moral
call. They told ns, if yon
by CCHD came as a complete shock,
staffer at the U.S.
teaching.”
g
u
y
s
w
a
n
t
th
e
g
r
a
n
t
,
y
o
u
'l
l
considering they were already working to
Gonferenee of
C ato a lso s a id t h a t
h a v e to d i s a f f i l i a t e w i t h
C a th o lic B is h o p s ,
alleviate concerns about the affiliation.
t h e A rc h d io c e s e
/T 'h e relationship between immigratfon
authored an extensive
“This was over a conference call. They told
NCXfL I f not, yon can stick
JL rights and LGBT rights* is not cotmected ? continues to support
us> if you guys want the grant, you’ll have to
report that detailed
Voz.
w
ith
ffgB
B
i
bat
yon
won't
by circumstance. Immigration rights
; the history of CCHD’s
¿^affiliate with NCLR. If not, you can stick | |
.“Voz’s withdrawal
advocates are calling on the reunification
work and documented
from consideration for receive a n y fu n d in g /'
with NCLR, but you won’t receive any
jand support of Latino families across
R A N F IS V IL L A T O R O , V O Z
pressure campaigns
a
grant
with
CCHD
funding.”
borders, and that includes those in the
from Catholic groups
will not diminish the
In a letter to CCHD, Voz’s Board of
LGBT community. The National Council of
like the American Life
public-and active
Directors - which had previously never
La Raza formally voted two years ago to
League, which have led to an increase in
support of the Office of Life, Justice and
taken a stand on marriage ¿quality - said it
support marriage equality as a matter of
de-funding of CCHD grantees with any
Peace on the core efforts of Voz.”
remained committed to NCLR.
civil rights.
association with other organizations that
Voz isn’t the only group whose affiliation
“After much deliberation within our
“There are hundreds of families in our
with
NCLR
has
been
called
into
question,
support marriage equality.
board, we have decided not to terminate our
community who need our help. It has been a according to Navarette, and that includes at
“Conservative attacks on the bishops’
affiliation with National Council of La Raza,”
fundamental issue when you have same-sex
anti-poverty campaign have intensified from
least
one
other
Latino
organization
in
the
the letter states. “We understand that
partners that you don’t have the same rights Willamette Valley that declined to talk on
well-organized opponents who think the g
maintaining affiliation with NCLR, a
to petition for your spouse,” says Lisa
church should stick to charity and ignore
the
record.
champion of Latino rights, will terminate
Navarette with NCLR. “That’s the reality of
the fact that Catholic social teaching also
“Right
now,
there
have
been
a
couple
of
any possibility of receiving the CCHD
it and the civil rights aspect of i t ... We
isolated incidents to threaten the network or requires a response to the structures that
National Grant we submitted requesting
cannot be an organization that condones
perpetuate injustice,” said Gehring, now the
the organization. We’ll be mindful of that
$75,000.”
J-
Catholic program director "at Faith in Public
exclusion.”
because
we
treasure
these,
partnerships.
The grant would have been a significant
Navarette said her organization even
Life, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C.
We’re so much stronger united and working
infusion to Voz’s $310,000 annual budget
wrote a letter to CCHD saying that not all
“Bishops are in a tricky situation as the
together
than
as
individual
organizations.
“The need for funding is great,”
letter
members are aligned with every NCLR
culture
shifts beneath their feet and
It’s paramount for us.”
states. “However, we are a worker-led
agenda item. But it was not enough.
acceptance of same-sex civil marriage grows
organization that empowers immigrants and I “Of course we’re not going to align
rapidly,” Gehring said. “The challenge is
day laborers to gain control over their
completely on our agendas,” Navarette said.
how can CCHD protect its Catholic identity
ationally, CCHD is a major player in the
working conditions. At the root of that
“We’ve worked with Grover Norquist and
without pulling away from the kind of
mission is the pursuit of justice and equahty
anti-poverty world. Founded in 1970 by
evangelical groups. The mish-mash of
effective coalitions that are needed to
the
United
States
Conference
of
Catholic
for all immigrants and day laborers.
organization ranges from far right and far
empower low-income communities and that
To accomplish that, the letter states,
Bishops, it is the anti-poverty, 'social justice
left. Allies are allies.”
■_
put Catholic teaching into action. Navigating
arm of the Catholic Church, with a mission
requires all allies standing together m unity,
In fact, the governing body for CCHD, the
this can be complicated, but it’s a major -
to address the causes of poverty through
and likened breaking up partnerships as
United States Conference of Catholic
blow for community organizing and a real
community-controlled, self-help '
another kind of border against progress.
. Bishops, has worked with La Raza on
loss for vulnerable families if more dioceses
organizations
and
education.
It
is
funded
“The philosophy behind building borders
immigration issues, according to Navarette,
make the decision that they can only
through a specific annual collection in
between friends and allies has long been a
who called the bishops “stalwart” in their
associate with individuals or organizations
parishes
across
the
country,
and
this
year
debilitating instrument to slow the
support of immigration reform. “The
that agree with Catholic theology on every
granted more than $14 million to anti
. advancement of social justice and equity,
decision with Voz over marriage equality is
issue. Pope Francis keeps reminding us that
poverty organizations in the United States.
Voz’s Board of Directors said. “Alone we
disappointing,” Navarette said.
the church should be out in the streets,
The
national
CCHD
offices,
based
ih
cannot achieve anything.”
Matt Cato is the director of the Office of
getting bruised and dirty, not withdrawing
Washington, D.C., did not return Street
And they are not alone. The
Life, Justice and Peace, which administers
from the messiness of the world. Catholic
Roots
request
for
comment
by
press
time.
announcement by Voz has drawn the
the Campaign for Human Development
identity is not only about church teaching on
Hacienda CDC was in its second year- of a
support of not only the NCLR, but also
through the Archdiocese of Portland. He
sexuality and marriage. The essence of <
two-year grant with CCHD when it received
Basic Rights Oregon, the Latino Network
being a disciple, the pope tells ns with his
said the Catholic Campaign for Human
a
call
from
the
grantor
asking
about
its
and Hacienda in Portland. Basic Rights
Development is disappointed that Voz
words and actions, is living out Jesus’
Oregon and Freedom to Marry made a
withdrew its consideration for a national and affiliation with NCLR as well. The grant
commandment to stand on the side of the
funding
the
start
of
its
Latino
Mercado.
financial contribution of approximately
poor and marginalized.”
local grant.
Hacienda
retained
its
membership
in
NCLR
$12,500 to the organization to offset the
“The criteria for a grant from the U.o.
B
I
R