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Email: "New Evidence Contradicts CCHD’s Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner"

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BY LifeSiteNews.com By Patrick B. CraineWASHINGTON, D.C., November 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - New evidence has been uncovered by the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry (BVM) which confirms that a partner group of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) that was accused by BVM of pro-abortion activities, but then subsequently defended by the CCHD, is indeed pro-abortion. Following an August report by BVM which revealed that four CCHD-funded groups were promoting abortion and/or contraception, the CCHD defunded two of the groups, but defended the other two.According to Bishop Roger Morin, chairman of the USCCB's CCHD subcommittee, in a memo to the U.S. bishops, these two groups "were investigated and, in consultation with the local dioceses, the charges proved to be inaccurate or a misunderstanding had occurred."However, a new revelation regarding one of these groups, the Women's Community Revitalization Project (WCRP), raises serious concerns about the CCHD's investigative approach, and strengthens BVM's claim that reform is needed in the organization, particularly regarding their grant approval process."We have yet to hear an adequate explanation as to how our initial presentation regarding these two groups was flawed," BVM states, saying that they now "have further evidence to support our charge that the Womens Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) should be immediately stripped of all funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development."The original report presented evidence that WCRP is a 'coalition partner' of WomenVote PA, an organization working for abortion 'rights' and promoting access to contraception.Now, BVM has found that earlier this year WCRP was awarded a grant of $16,400 by the radical feminist funding organization Women's Way.  This group enforces a strict funding policy, which states, among other things, that certain groups are not eligible for funding.These groups include those that "consider themselves to be pro-life;" those that "do not support a woman's full range of reproductive choices;" those "promoting abstinence-only sex education;" and those "opposing same sex relationships or marriage."As a Catholic organization, and an arm of the USCCB, however, the CCHD's guidelines prohibit them from funding groups that violate Catholic moral teaching.  So, as BVM explains, "if the Womens Community Revitalization Project is eligible for this grant from Women's Way, by definition they are ineligible for funding by the CCHD."Rob Gasper, BVM's founder, told LifeSiteNews.com that this new evidence appears to confirm all the more the need for CCHD to reform their approval process.  "We find it difficult to see how such an oversight has occurred," he said, commenting on the fact that CCHD "cleared" WCRP even after BVM's initial report."Catholics should know that the WCRP is still scheduled to receive CCHD funding and a portion of whatever they donate on Nov 22 may make its way to this grantee," he added.LifeSiteNews.com contacted CCHD for comment, but did not hear back by press time.See Reform CCHD Now website.See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:Call for Reform of U.S. Bishops' CCHD Bolstered by New Evidence Coalition of Catholic Groups Calls for Massive Reform of U.S. Bishops' Social Justice Arm USCCB's Social Justice Arm Caught Funding Pro-Abortion/Prostitution Groups: Takes "Decisive" Action in Response  http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-evidence-contradicts-cchds-findings-on-accused-pro-abortion-partner/

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