Catholics for Choice

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Catholics for a Free Choice is a lobbying group formed in 1973 in response to the opposition of the Catholic Church to the Roe v. Wade decision. The founders of the organization, Joan Harriman, Patricia Fogarty McQuillan, and Meta Mulcahymade, members of the National Organization of Women, claimed that the Catholic bishops did not represent all Catholics regarding the issue of abortion.[1]

Mission

The organization's goals include:

Additionally, Catholics for a Free Choice operates a project named Pope-Watch.org[4].

Among the demands made to Pope Benedict XVI by the project are:

  • a reversal of Church teaching regarding contraception
  • the allocation of 25% of senior positions in the Vatican to women
  • optional celibacy for priests and religious.

Views and Catholicity

Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, and her organization have been twice condemned as a non-Catholic group, by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and been accused of having "hijacked" the word Catholic in order to gain credibility within the Catholic community. Catholics for a Free Choice have been accused of using the term Catholic in order to distort Catholic teachings and pass themselves off as an offical Catholic descendent group. The Catholic League (U.S.), which is widely viewed as an orthodox Catholic organization, has labelled them as a fringe group with few followers.

It should also be noted that Catholics for a Free Choice is funded primarily from the pornography industry, namely the Playboy Foundation, and other companies that make contraceptives, industries which the Catholic Church doctrinally opposes.[5] Due to the language and methods practiced by Catholics for a Free Choice this organization may also be classified as an anti-Catholic organization.

On May 10, 2000, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a statement regarding the status of the organization said, "...Catholics for a Free Choice merits no recognition or support as a Catholic organization".[6]

Quotes

Frances Kissling, president of the organization, said in 1991, "I spent twenty years looking for a government that I could overthrow without being thrown in jail. I finally found one in the Catholic Church" (Mother Jones, May/June 1991, p. 11).

References

  • ^ "CFFC About Us". A Mouse That Roars Turns 25, An interview with CFFC President Frances Kissling. December 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  • ^ "Pope-Watch.org". About the First 100 Days Campaign. December 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  • ^ "USCCB - Life Insight". NCCB/USCC President Responds to Latest "Catholics For A Free Choice" Vendetta. December 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  • ^ "St. Louis Review Online". Time to reaffirm pro-life teachings. December 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
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