Tuesday, August 17, 2004

USCCB refuses to release the "Questionaire" to the Catholic Laity

Demonstrating once again its commitment to full disclosure, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has refused repeated requests to release to the Catholic laity a copy of the much maligned questionnaire directed at political candidates for office. Based on the amount of flack the document is getting, it is clear that copies have already made it to the public domain, but any efforts to identify exactly what questions were actually on the document have been quashed by what has become signature stonewalling by the USCCB.

With so much attention being paid to the elections of 2004 and the bitterly divisive debates over so-called "pro-abortion gay rights Catholic politicians", it is amazing that the USCCB would once again resort the cloak of secrecy and nondisclosure that has so poorly served the Bishops in the past. For an organization that should be interested in building credibility among Catholic voters, the USCCB seems utterly committed to continuing to embarrass themselves. (emphasis mine)
Where is the 'transparency' that was so highly touted a short time ago? Could it be, perhaps, that the 'questionaire' would expose agendas and priorities which are at odds with the more fundamental and more serious issues facing us today? How many more of the "Ono Ekeh-Catholics for Kerry" type people still work at the USCCB?

Catholic Citizens of Illinois article here.

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