Catholic Campaign for America

I am an avid reader and fan of the Register, as are many members of the Catholic Campaign for America, but I feel compelled to respond to an item in your last issue.

Tracy Early's story (“Speaker Stirs Catholic Campaign for America Gala,” March 9, 1997) took several cynical and unfair shots at the Catholic Campaign for America and those involved with our organization, and the Register is guilty of a journalistic error for printing this item as a news piece rather than as one person's opinion.

First, it is unfortunate that Mr. Early did not focus at all on the reason that the CCAwas honoring Senator Santorum. There was only a passing reference to the fact that Santorum was honored for being a “leader in the fight against partial-birth abortion,” and Early clearly seems to be much more interested in feeding controversy and criticizing a public figure than in reporting the full story. Santorum was an outstanding leader on the partial-birth abortion issue last year and that he was a lonely Catholic voice in the Senate in support of the position of our Church and our bishops. When was the last time the Holy Father and our united American bishops were so active on a particular policy issue? Senator Santorum was there in defense of our Church and our bishops, which is more than can be said for several other Catholic senators.

Early did correctly detail the difference between the positions of Senator Santorum and Father Fred Kammer, President of Catholic Charities USA, with regard to the care of the poor; this debate is a legitimate one and it needs to be heard. But he then departs into a thinly veiled attack on the CCA, suggesting that speakers at CCA events make a habit of criticizing bishops and the Church. This assertion is incorrect at best and malicious at worst.

We have hosted many meetings, conventions, seminars and even a spiritual rally, and we have always supported and encouraged the work of our bishops (who have been similarly supportive of us.) We do not have any interest in maligning or criticizing our bishops. Rather, we make it our business to defend them and, through our chapters, to assist them on various projects. To do otherwise would be opposite to our very mission, which is to encourage Catholics to embrace their faith and to be faithful to the teachings of the Church. We have no other agenda.

Early mentions, correctly, that we are not motivated or concerned with political affiliations, but then cynically states that our events are “likely to raise questions in the minds of Catholics with different political leanings.” Which is it? In fact, as is made perfectly clear in our material and our mission statement, we are concerned only with being authentically and faithfully Catholic. We do not have any hidden political agenda. We clearly define what we stand for (the teachings of the Holy Father, our Church and our Catholic faith) and welcome people of any political affiliation (or none at all) to join us. Thankfully, our membership continues to grow.

Finally, Cardinal O'Connor has been a great supporter and friend to the CCA since its inception, as have numerous bishops and Cardinals. They provide frequent advice and direction to our organization as we seek to complement the work they are doing in dioceses around the country. His Eminence was showing some of his typical self-depreciating humor and humility when he remarked that he could not remember giving us any advice — we know how valuable and important his advice has been, and I suspect he knows it as well. Early's closing line to end the article (“CCAleaders now may feel that they could use some [advice]”) was gratuitous and ill-advised.

There are some very good facts about the dinner and our organization which were included in the story, but unfortunately it more closely resembled an opinion piece that a news article. We do not argue with anyone's right to disagree with us or our work, but the Register editors should have placed this piece in the editorial section as an op-ed, or they should have edited out the cynical and personal material.

Michael A. Ferguson

Executive Director Catholic Campaign for America

Editors' note: It should be pointed out that the Register labeled Tracy Early's story on the CCA a news analysis, a form which allows a reporter more leeway to interpret events than does a straight news report.

Correction: A front-page headline in the March 2–8 issue, “Targeting ‘Racist Distortions,’Expert Nixes Women's Ord,” contained an error. The correct headline should read: “Targeting ‘Sexist Distortion,’Expert Nixes Women's Ord”

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