Joshua Bennett
There is some debate about whether Catholic Relief Services (CRS) supports Planned Parenthood. While the Catholic Church officially opposes abortion, some evidence suggests that certain employees of CRS have expressed support for Planned Parenthood. For instance, in 2015, a CRS employee posted a #StandwithPP message on social media, which was liked by other CRS staff members. Additionally, there are claims that CRS promotes contraception and funds abortion-providing organizations. On the other hand, some argue that the Catholic Church should partner with Planned Parenthood to reduce abortions, providing financial, psychological, and other forms of assistance to mothers. Furthermore, a community partner of Planned Parenthood received a grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, indicating some level of support from Catholic-affiliated organizations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic Relief Services Employees' Support for Planned Parenthood | Jessica Garrels, Nat Pholsena, Siia Phetvillaysouk, and Tina Bounmixay have expressed support for Planned Parenthood and government funding for the organization. |
| Catholic Campaign for Human Development's Grant | The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) provided a $35,000 grant to the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center (CNC), a community partner of Planned Parenthood, despite assurances to curtail support for organizations opposed to Catholic teachings. |
| Views of Critics | Critics argue that Catholic Relief Services promotes contraception, condom use, and funds abortion and contraception-providing organizations, which goes against Catholic teachings. |
| Suggested Actions | Critics suggest contacting Archbishop Paul Coakley, the Chairman of Catholic Relief Services, to address these concerns and remove employees acting against the Church. |
| Proposed Partnerships | Some suggest that the Catholic Church should partner with Planned Parenthood to reduce abortions, providing financial, psychological, employment, housing, and educational assistance to mothers while refraining from interfering in controversial programs or services. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic Relief Services employees who support Planned Parenthood
Several employees of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have been found to support Planned Parenthood. In 2019, an analysis by the Lepanto Institute revealed that at least four CRS employees "stood" with Planned Parenthood. Jessica Garrels, a Program Quality & Business Development coordinator for CRS stationed in Mali, publicly indicated her support for Planned Parenthood and endorsed continued government funding for the organization. Three other CRS employees, Nat Pholsena, Siia Phetvillaysouk, and Tina Bounmixay, also showed their agreement with Garrels' stance by "liking" her post.
Garrels' support for Planned Parenthood is further evidenced by her $200 campaign contribution to Barack Obama in 2012, who was considered Planned Parenthood's biggest political ally at the time. Additionally, she has shared articles and quotes defending Planned Parenthood and expressing disappointment when funding was cut.
The discovery of CRS employees supporting Planned Parenthood has led to criticism of the organization. Some individuals have expressed their disappointment and have stopped donating to CRS, viewing it as an organization that goes against Catholic teachings. They have called for the removal of employees who act against the Church and for Archbishop Paul Coakley, the chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services, to address these issues.
While CRS has faced backlash for its employees' support for Planned Parenthood, there are also reports of direct financial connections between Catholic organizations and Planned Parenthood. According to investigative reports, a community partner of Planned Parenthood, the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center (CNC), received a $35,000 grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) for the fiscal year 2014-2015. This has been seen as a betrayal of Catholic values by some, including Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute.
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Catholic Campaign for Human Development funding of Planned Parenthood
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic anti-poverty program of the US Catholic Bishops. It works to break the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence and help low-income people participate in decisions affecting their lives, families, and communities. The CCHD has been a source of controversy due to its history of funding organizations that promote abortion, homosexuality, contraception, and Marxism, including Planned Parenthood.
In 2014-2015, the CCHD provided a grant of $35,000 to the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center (CNC), a community partner of Planned Parenthood. This grant was given despite assurances that the CCHD would not support organizations opposed to Catholic teaching. Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute, strongly criticized the funding, stating that "Catholic money must never find its way into the hands of those who would ally themselves with America's number one abortion chain."
The Lepanto Institute has also reported on the activities of three Nashville-based organizations funded by the CCHD that violate Catholic teaching and the CCHD's grant guidelines. Additionally, they discovered that several employees of Catholic Relief Services, another organization funded by the CCHD, "stand with Planned Parenthood."
The CCHD continues to deny any wrongdoing and asserts that it is committed to carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ to help the poor and oppressed. However, the controversy surrounding its funding choices remains a significant issue for many Catholics and has led to accusations of betrayal and breach of faith.
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The Catholic Church's potential partnership with Planned Parenthood
The Catholic Church's stance on abortion and organizations that provide abortion services is complex and multifaceted. While the Church officially opposes abortion, there have been instances where Catholic organizations and entities have been implicated in supporting or partnering with abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.
In 2019, it was revealed that several employees of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) expressed support for Planned Parenthood. This discovery sparked controversy, as it contradicted the official teachings of the Catholic Church. The Lepanto Institute reported that Jessica Garrels, a Program Quality & Business Development coordinator for CRS, publicly showed her support for Planned Parenthood and endorsed continued government funding for the organization. Garrels' post was "'liked"' by three other CRS employees, indicating a potential alignment with her views.
Additionally, there have been reports of Catholic entities providing financial support to organizations associated with Planned Parenthood. In one instance, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) granted $35,000 to the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center (CNC), a community partner of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. This grant caused concern among those who oppose abortion, as it was seen as Catholic money indirectly supporting an abortion provider.
Despite these apparent contradictions, some argue that the Catholic Church and Planned Parenthood could potentially partner to reduce abortions. Proponents of this idea suggest creating an alternative non-Catholic legal structure that would allow for gay adoptions, which the Catholic Church does not currently support. Under this proposal, the national Catholic entity would continue a relationship with the mother, providing financial, psychological, employment, housing, and educational assistance for a period of two years or until the mother becomes self-sufficient. This partnership would respect the autonomy of both the Catholic Church and Planned Parenthood, allowing them to continue their respective services without interfering with each other's differing views.
Furthermore, initiatives such as the Pregnant Women Support Act, supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, aim to reduce the abortion rate by providing social and economic support to help women avoid abortions. This act demonstrates a potential alignment between the Catholic Church and the goal of reducing abortions, which could be further explored through partnerships or collaborative efforts.
While the Catholic Church's relationship with Planned Parenthood is complex and often contentious, there are suggestions that a partnership between the two could potentially reduce abortions and provide comprehensive support to women in need. However, the Church's official stance on abortion and its opposition to certain practices of Planned Parenthood remain significant obstacles to overcome in exploring such partnerships.
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The Catholic Church's stance on abortion
The Catholic Church's position on abortion is that it is gravely immoral and a sin. The Church's official teachings state that "human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception". This belief is based on the interpretation that a human being has the rights of a person from the first moment of existence, including the inviolable right to life. The Church's stance is that abortion is the killing of children before they are born and is therefore not to be tolerated.
The Church's position on abortion has been consistent since the earliest times, with Christians distinguishing themselves from surrounding pagan cultures by rejecting abortion and infanticide. This is evidenced in early Christian teachings such as the Didache, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Apocalypse of Peter. The Church's teachings on abortion have been reaffirmed over the centuries, with theologians such as St. Augustine in the 5th century AD also condemning the practice.
The Church makes public statements and takes actions in opposition to the legality of abortion. For example, in the 1990s, Belgian bishops opposed a law to partially liberalize abortion, warning Belgian Catholics that anyone who cooperated in the procurement of abortions was "excluding themselves from the ecclesiastical community".
However, it is important to note that not all Catholics agree with the Church's official position on abortion. Many Catholics, particularly those who do not attend Mass frequently, hold views that differ, ranging from anti-abortion positions with exceptions to acceptance of the general legality and morality of abortion.
The Church does recognize as morally legitimate certain acts that indirectly result in the death of the fetus, such as in the case of an ectopic pregnancy or the removal of a cancerous womb. In an ectopic pregnancy, the removal of the tube containing the embryo (salpingectomy) is considered morally acceptable as it is categorized as an indirect abortion, and the death of the embryo is unintended.
The Church also provides support for those who have had abortions, offering healing retreats to help individuals experience God's love, forgiveness, and compassion.
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The Catholic Church's stance on contraception
Contraception is defined by the Church as:
> "any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible."
This includes all methods of contraception, such as sterilisation, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides, the withdrawal method, the Pill, and all other such methods. The Church's teaching is that the natural-law purpose of sex is procreation, and that the pleasure that sexual intercourse provides is an additional blessing from God, intended to offer the possibility of new life while strengthening the bond of intimacy, respect, and love between husband and wife.
> "Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor is it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted."
Hippolytus of Rome also wrote about the use of "drugs of sterility" by certain Christian women who did not want to have children with male servants. Augustine of Hippo, in "On Marriage and Concupiscence", denounced the use of lust in intercourse without intending procreation, stating that such couples:
> " [..] although they be called husband and wife, are not; nor do they retain any reality of marriage, but use the respectable name [of marriage] to cover a shame."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church specifies that all sex acts must be both unitive and procreative. The Church's stance on contraception is not universally accepted among Catholics, with some Western Catholics voicing significant disagreement. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, for example, issued a statement in 1969 that was interpreted as dissenting from the doctrine of Humanae Vitae.
Despite some dissent, the Catholic Church remains the only major Christian denomination to proclaim the historic Christian position on contraception, with all other Protestant denominations allowing contraception within marriage.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) employees have been found to support Planned Parenthood. Jessica Garrels, a Program Quality & Business Development coordinator for CRS, has publicly indicated her support for the organisation. Three other employees also showed their support by liking her post.
The Catholic Church has been called upon to partner with Planned Parenthood to reduce abortions. One suggestion is that for each referral to a national Catholic entity, a financial donation would be made to Planned Parenthood, provided the expectant mother gave birth to the baby.
Catholic Relief Services has been accused of funding abortion and contraception-providing organisations. They have also been criticised for their sex education programs and condom-promoting campaigns.
Planned Parenthood is an organisation that provides abortions and other reproductive health services. They perform over 300,000 abortions per year.
