Thursday, April 10, 2008

Catholic Charities of San Francisco

...rotten at the core.

It hurts to say that (my mom was a five-day-a-week volunteer there for years in the 1990's) but I do not see how one can reach any other conclusion.

On Wednesday California Catholic Daily graciously published an article we wrote, detailing how the organization had become a vehicle for homosexual activism.

Today they have an article about the honoree at tomorrow night's Catholic Charities "Loaves and Fishes" dinner. The honoree is one of the most active financial supporters of the "Culture of Death" in the state of California.

Below is the text of a letter that was sent by email on April 4, and by regular mail on April 7 to Archbishop George Niederauer, Bishop Ignatius Wang and 105 priests in the Archdiocese of San Francisco:


Excellencies, Fathers:

On April 11, 2008 Catholic Charities CYO of San Francisco will hold its annual “Loaves and Fishes” Fundraising Dinner at the Westin St. Francis Hotel on Union Square. The honoree for “Outstanding Philanthropic Works” will be George M. Marcus. This is an outrage.

On August 16, 2004, Mr. Marcus gave $50,000 to the “Yes on 71” campaign, which authorized $3.5 billion in taxpayer funded Embryonic Stem-Cell Research. This was unrelentingly opposed by the California Conference of Catholic Bishops. Opposition to ESCR is a non-negotiable Catholic issue.

On October 6, 2005, Mr. Marcus gave $25,000 to the “No on Proposition 73 Campaign for Teen Safety.” Proposition 73 was a Parental Notification Initiative that would have required an underage girl to notify her parents before having an abortion. This was very strongly supported by the California Conference of Catholic Bishops.

On September 26, 2006, Mr. Marcus gave $25,000 to the “No on 85” campaign. Proposition 85 was another parental notification initiative.

On October 10, 2006, Mr. Marcus gave an additional $75,000 to the “No on 85” campaign.

On May 29, 2007, Mr. Marcus gave $3,600 to the “Mark Leno for Senate” campaign. Reminder: every year, Assemblyman Leno sponsors legislation to overturn Prop. 22 and legalize same-sex “marriage” in California. The defense of natural marriage is another non-negotiable Catholic issue.

Excellencies, Fathers, this information comes directly from the website of the California Secretary of State’s “Campaign Finance” page.

I remind you of the June, 2004 statement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

“The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

Excellencies, Fathers, your parishioners gathered signatures, often in the face of ridicule and hostility, to fight for the Church’s position on these issues. Your parishioners and flock contributed their hard-earned money to support the Church’s position on these issues. Excellencies, you yourselves, and the priests you lead, preached the Church’s position on these issues.

I entreat and urge each and every one of you in the strongest possible terms to either insist on another honoree or to refuse to attend this function.

Your son in Christ,

Gibbons J. Cooney
San Francisco


Documentation of each of the above donations can be found by going here. Scroll to the entry for April 11.

Posted by Gibbons

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fr. Malloy,
What can you tell us about Catholic Charities of the East Bay? As a member of the Oakland Diocese, I'd like to know if this sort of thing has found its way to this side of the bay. I have a suspicion it has.
gravey

Alexis said...

The church in my view is supposed to be a sanctuary where we go to reflect and renew ourselves.

If the church resembles the world outside, then there is no difference.

The church as "parental figure", or "moral compass" has gone adrift, if it does not practice a higher expectation and standard of moral behavior.

I never thought it was kind for people with those "holier than thou attitudes" who seem to think that punishing those who do go "astray" by condemning them verbally will help them.

However, the last thing i want to see is for the church parishoners and church to be torn amongst itself over whether the church or they should support abortion, gay marriage, gay adoption

these people go to church for sanctuary and spiritual renewal, this is taking that away from them