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.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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I find this news disheartening. I would rather Catholic Charities close than have them throw their employees under the bus to placate the DC City Council (who are worthless to begin with!)
ReplyDeleteAnd why does that not surprise me about Wuerl? He's never going to get the little red zucchetto he so desires if he keeps on like this.
Catholic Charities and the Archbishop are counting on universal healthcare to be rammed through, which will remedy this concern in the long run - when our tax dollars will pay for every immoral action's medical consequences.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Federal abortion-care doesn't happen, maybe they'll have set a trend, claiming that "technically" spousal healthcare benefits are not included in any official Catholic Living Wage social policy. Maybe industry will take note and ban that wasteful practice of spousal benefits from the rest of us.
"Deny your faith and we'll give you a contract" - how about if we just deny it for the future spouses - deal? C'mon, we're giving you a BIG crack here!
There is no greater social justice than advocating for the right to practice our religion. Catholics need to funnel all resources toward this one goal.
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