Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Anti-Discrimination Law May Force Closing of Catholic Charities

"This is not idle talk. I am very serious," says Archbishop

From "Archbishop Chaput: "Anti-Discrimination" Bill May Force Closing of Catholic Charities" by Hilary White, posted 1/28/08 at Lifesite.org

DENVER, Colorado, January 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an editorial in the Register, the newspaper of the Denver archdiocese, Archbishop Charles Chaput has warned that a proposed law may result in the end of one of the largest charitable organisations in the state.

HB 1080 seeks to impose restrictions on religious groups, forbidding them from hiring staff based on religion, and adding "sexual orientation" to the list of characteristics against which it is prohibited to "discriminate" in employment. HB1080 applies to religious groups that receive federal or state funding, which would include the organization Catholic Charities.

The bill, currently before the Colorado General Assembly, will place Catholic Charities in the position of having to close its doors, warns the Chaput. While Catholic Charities purpose is to help the poor, not proselytize, it exists "as part of the religious mission of the Catholic Church," and not just for the sake of "generic do-goodism."

"When it can no longer have the freedom it needs to be 'Catholic', it will end its services. This is not idle talk. I am very serious."

Read the entire article.