This year, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) released its own version of this ancient devotion. This self-promotion offers a few scriptural passages relevant to each of the 14 Stations of the Cross (Jesus is Condemned to Death, Jesus Takes up His Cross, Jesus Falls the First Time, etc.), which are followed by commercial commentaries on groups receiving grant money from the CCHD. Even the prayers at the end of each station are tainted with these commercial insertions.
But the most horrifying aspect of this “prayerful reflection” is that several of the grantees that are given equal attention as Our Lord in His Dolorous Passion are involved in the promotion of abortion and/or same-sex marriage.
Besides the fact that using the Stations of the Cross in this manner is a bit tasteless, when used to promote groups who dissent against Church teaching it becomes exactly part of that sin that put Jesus on cross in the first place.
Thankfully there is some good news on this in that they have now been removed.
“We’re happy to see the USCCB respond quickly to clean the offensive material from its web site,” said Michael Hichborn, lead researcher on the CCHD for American Life League, an RCN member. “We hope and pray this is the first step in cleaning up the larger problem of the CCHD funding organizations that support abortion and same-sex marriage.”
The CCHD’s revision of the Stations of the Cross was the latest incident exposed by the 21-member RCN coalition’s campaign to end CCHD funding for organizations promoting philosophies and/or activities contrary to Catholic teaching.
What gets me is that obviously CCHD is award they are being closely monitored and yet they still do something as wacky as this.
8 comments
What gets me is that obviously CCHD is awar[e] they are being closely monitored and yet they still do something as wacky as this.
Maybe that’s why the link to it is showing up “not found”. 🙂
D’oh! I’m late! disregard.
You can see the Stations at http://reformcchdnow.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18:cchd-stations-of-the-cross-report
Oh, yuck!
That is more than a little tasteless! It’s profanations, it’s . . . is it blasphemy? simony? It’s B-A-D, that’s all I know.
Why do people think this is OK? Where did we get the notion that the age-old prayers of the Church were open source?! The Stations are not Linux, regardless of how good or bad your intentions!
The link to the CCHD Stations is corrupt.
Delenda est.
I agree with TC… tasteless, profanations, and blasphemy. Sad.