DC Catholic Charities Solves Same-Sex Benefits Quandry - NOT!

Previous postings on this blog detailed the moral quandry in which the DC Catholic Charities found itself when the DC City Council made plain to them that faith-based organizations will not be exempt from the requirement to offer benefits to same-sex partners of employees.  At first, the DC Catholic Charities appeared to be taking a principled stance by stating they'd have to cease services in DC.  Right on cue, various council members called them meanies for trying to adhere to who they were.  The DC Catholic Charities squirmed.

Today's Catholic Standard revealed the less-than-stellar solution at which DC Catholic Charities arrived.  They're throwing their own employees under the bus.

As of March 1st, DC Catholic Charities is no longer offering spousal employee benefits.  Employees who already had them at that date are permitted to keep them (Gee!  Isn't that swell?), but now no one can elect spousal coverage should they entertain silly ideas such as getting married in the future.

According to a Washington Post article, this decision came from Archbishop Wuerl himself.  Now why, oh why, does the Catholic Standard make no mention of that teensy detail?  He made much talk about "just wage", but at the end of the day, this is still about placating the DC government at the expense of the employees.

In the words of Edward Orzechowski, Catholic Charities president, "The challenge for us was how to comply with the new same-sex marriage law requirements, and continue our partnership with the District of Columbia in serving the poor and vulnerable, and remaining true to the teachings of our faith."  Got that?  In order to please the powers-that-be and to not be considered "meanies", Catholic Charities is committing gross injustice against its own employees.  Since when does that constitute "the teachings of our faith"?

Organizations such as Catholic Charities tout how they're advocates of "social justice".  Many of them favor "Obamacare" in the mistaken belief that such will effect universal health coverage. Yet these same Catholic entities, when they wish to kiss up to malevolent politicians, turn around and block that same coverage to their own employees!  Go figure!

Years ago, when the New York Catholic hospitals were to be coerced into providing abortions, John Cardinal O'Connor stood them down to a man.  He said that he'd close each and every hospital before that happened.  The New York bosses knew O'Connor was a man of courage and integrity; they backed down.  It would have been far better if Catholic Charities had done the same and maintained its integrity: not only towards the city, but also towards its employees.  Like too many Catholic institutions today, they are playing the cowards.

We should bear this in mind at the next Catholc Charities collection in the pews.

Archdiocese of Washington Stands up to DC Council Bullying

The Archdiocese of Washington has made clear to the DC Council that it will have to cease its social programs that it operates in DC if it is forced to extend employee benefits to same-sex couples. Susan Gibbs, spokesperson for the Archdiocese explained, "If the city requires this, we can't do it. The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."

Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." She went on, "Are they really going to harm people because they have a philosophical disagreement with us on one issue? I hope, in the silver light of day, when this passes, they will not really act on this threat."

Of course, the DC Council has things precisely ass-backwards. They fail, or refuse, to admit that the Catholic Church engages in social services out of obedience to Our Lord's Commands. Those commands are not "philosophical issues". They bind on all of us - including Ms. Cheh, but that's another discussion. Our Lord has taught, and continues to teach that homosexual behavior is intrinsically sinful and can never be condoned nor facilitated.

Let's face it. Those advocating mortally sinful behaviors, be it baby-murder, sodomy or whatever, will never be content to let Christians practice their own faith. Why? The answer is very simple. The sight of Christians practicing sound faith and morals stings the consciences of those who don't. That is why there is such a frenzied attempt to coerce us into facilitating mortal sin. They think that by so doing, that they can assuage their own seared consciences and justify their own corrupt behaviors. That will never happen.

We salute the stance of the Archdiocese of Washington in this matter. We hope and pray that they stand firm.

Montgomery County Council Attempting to Shove More Perversion Down Our Throats

After their nefarious victory with transgender "rights" last year (Bill 23-07), the Montgomery County Council is now attempting to force the private sector to provide same-sex benefits for their employees. The idea is that contractors will have to provide to their employees the same benefits that County employees enjoy if they are to be awarded contracts from Montgomery County.

The photo at the right is the Council, along with members of Equality Maryland, announcing this proposed bill. The woman at the left, with the green blouse, is Duchy Trachtenberg, the at-large councilperson who introduced Bill 23-07 in 2007. The tall blond individual, directly under what appears to be a tv screen, is Dr. Dana Beyer. Dr Beyer is a staffperson of Trachtenberg's, and the vice president of Equality Maryland. Dr. Beyer's first name used to be Wayne. It was legally changed in 2002. Trachenberg, Beyer's boss, is (or was) the Mid Atlantic Regional Director for National Organization of Women (NOW), a rabidly pro-abortion organization. Such are the folks who occupy high places in Montgomery County Government.

At any rate, this new nightmare is just starting to rear its ugly head. In the face of this new peril, what will be the response of the local Catholic parishes? Will they sit on their hands as we the laity try to fight this? Will they refuse to assist until it's "too little, too late" as they did in 2007-2008 with the last debacle?
We must all sit up and take notice. Let's nip this one in the bud.