John Carr Needs to Go: USCCB Executive Director in Bed with Pro-Death Organization

Back in October I wrote a quick post for people thinking about donating to the CCHD. As I did more research I found it promised that the CCHD had been reformed (and some claims that it hadn't happened at all), but I still had an uneasy feeling that just didn't go away. And now this comes out:

John Carr is the USCCB executive director of the Department of Justice Peace and Human Development which oversees the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). He has been employed by the USCCB since 1987.

John Carr’s relationship with the Center for Community Change goes back at least to 1983, serving in leadership roles from 1999 to 2006 – including as chairman of the board. The Reform CCHD Now report details the organization’s promotion of abortion, “reproductive rights” and homosexuality as among the CCC’s core advocacy focuses.

In 2001, while Carr served as both a USCCB exec and CCC leader, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference funneled $150,000 to the pro-abortion group. The USCCB web site currently promotes the group and officials have spoken at CCC events.

“Strangely, Carr’s leadership on the CCC’s board shows up on several bios he’s submitted for speaking engagements, but the word for word bio on the USCCB web site mysteriously omits that one detail,” Hichborn said. “Why?”

Revelations of John Carr’s involvement in the Center for Community Change come only months after members of the Reform CCHD Now coalition, including American Life League, uncovered 31 CCHD grantees partnered with the CCC.

“The CCHD claims it will immediately investigate accusations against organizations it funds yet it is silent on the CCC,” said Hichborn. “How can Carr and the USCCB possibly justify this intimate relationship with such an obvious enemy of the Church?”

Read more here.

When I started reading about this a couple of days ago I assumed that John Carr no longer worked for the USCCB. I mean, this seems like the thing that would end a career with the Catholic Church, doesn't it? Lying about ones past (and present) work experience and activities (and doesn't anyone google employee names anymore? Or is that sooooooo 2005?) seems like a pretty good reason for giving someone the boot. So I wandered over to the USCCB website to see what I could find and all I came up with was this.

This is distressing. I'm telling myself that they are probably investigating it and speaking with their lawyers as I type and that we'll hear more in a few days (like maybe Bishop Morin saying that maybe they were a tiny bit wrong when they said that the claims of helping pro-death organizations were "outrageous" back in November). It's certainly something that can't be ignored any longer.

Hopefully the Bishops can clean house and fix this oversight before "focusing on the common good" next week.

To read more check out "Sleeping with the Enemy" over at the American Life League.

And yes, this situation does most definitely warrant a Sadie Frown.