Reposted from http://gay.americablog.com
Leaders of the Catholic Church continue their jihad against all things gay by cutting funds for groups that treat their LGBT neighbors as human beings. From today's New York Times:
For three years now, Compañeros, a small nonprofit organization in rural southwestern Colorado, has received thousands of dollars from the Roman Catholic Church to help poor Hispanic immigrants with basic needs including access to health care and guidance on local laws.These are some sick people running the church these days. Their homophobia knows no bounds.
But in February, the group was informed by a representative from the Diocese of Pueblo that its financing from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, an arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops devoted to ending poverty, was in danger.
The problem, the diocesan liaison explained, was Compañeros’s membership in an immigrant rights coalition that had joined forces with a statewide gay and lesbian advocacy group, recounted Nicole Mosher, Compañeros’s executive director.
The Catholic Campaign, which doles out $8 million annually to about 250 groups nationwide, has been under increasing pressure from conservative Catholic groups to ensure that it is not unwittingly aiding organizations that run afoul of church positions on issues like birth control and marriage.
According to The Times, Compañeros is affiliated with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). CIRC "began a partnership with One Colorado. It was One Colorado’s support for civil unions that was at issue, Mr. McCloud said." So, those Bishops are really looking hard to find connections to anything gay-related. It's a modern-day Inquisition.
Compañeros isn't backing down, despite the financial impact:
Compañeros’s board recently voted to remain a member of the immigrant coalition, despite the prospect of losing $30,000 in annual financing, which comprises about half its budget.The Catholic Church cut funds for Preble Street in Portland (also mentioned by the Times) after the organization opposed the repeal of Maine's same-sex marriage law back in 2009. The people of Maine, including then-Governor John Baldacci, rallied around Preble Street. I hope the same thing happens in Colorado.
Said Ms. Mosher: “We can’t go against our core principles by taking money that we think will ultimately result in the division of this community.”
The website for Compañeros is here. On this Good Friday, while Catholic leaders are cutting funds for those who need help, I donated to the San Juan Citizens Alliance, just like I donated when the Bishop cut funds for Preble Street. I noted that my contribution was to help make up for the loss of funds from the Catholic Bishops. I grew up Catholic and it seems like Compañeros is doing what Jesus would do
