Catholic groups cut ties with WMW 2000.

Ottawa-Readers will still be familiar with last year's Catholic controversy about the World March of Women (WMW). The executives of the bishops' conference (CCCB), its fundraising social aid branch of Development and Peace (CCODP), the Catholic Women's League (CWL), and the Canadian Conference of Religious (CCR), all supported the March. On the other hand the CWL rank and file, pro-life groups, and half a dozen bishops strongly opposed it (see our four articles in June, July/August, Sept. and Dec. 2000 editions). Now comes word of an interesting turnaround.

The decision of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) to withdraw their support was reportedly precipitated by statements made by the international organizing committee of the March (in Montreal). This body reacted to President George W. Bush's decision to cut funding to international "family planning" groups by calling all the national committees to rally in support of abortion "choice".

The CCODP, which claimed it supported only the basic aims of the March--eliminating poverty and ending violence against women-had contributed $135,000 to WMW 2000. Its education director, Mary Corkery, had stated that abortion "was not on the table and we can never support that." She, however, claimed that there have been several positive results from the March.

CCODP's decision has been backed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). They, like the CCODP, had said that they couldn't support the Canadian organizers of the WMW, but they could help the work of the WMW international.

When 5,000 women rallied in Ottawa in October to bring their case to Parliament Hill, the Archbishop of Ottawa, MarcelGervais, with five other bishops, encouraged all Catholics to participate. Now a letter from CCCB president Bishop Gerald Wiesner has endorsed CCODP's "difficult but principled decision" to withdraw.

A more muted but puzzling statement has come from the Catholic Women's League (CWL), whose president, Vivian Bosch, claims, "The March ended for us with the rally October 15". Her further claim that the CWL "will continue to be unwavering in its commitment to life issues" seems very much at odds with the organization's original support for the March--and with their threat to demote a life member who criticized this position.

The three organizations (CCODP, CCCB, CWL) had previously shown hostility to Campaign Life Coalition's and other pro-life groups' concerns and criticisms of WMW 2000s objectives. Pro-lifers repeatedly pointed Out the proabortion and pro-homosexual position taken by the radical feminist March organizers both national and international. Early on, the international HQ refused pro-life groups permission to participate as being "in clear contradiction" to March objectives. It is therefore no surprise that WMW 2000 has proposed to stage protests around the Bush funding ban but quite in line with their previous thinking.

LifeSire Daily News suggests that the timing of CCODP's withdrawal (just before Lent) may be fortuitous. Just as the CWL lost membership over the issue, CCODP may fear the loss of funding from donations to Share Lent collections throughout the country.

Last year Cardinal Ambrozic withdrew $16,000 from Toronto's contribution to CCODP on account of their support of the March. Many individual donors have also discontinued their contributions. And in Hamilton diocese, Bishop Anthony Tonnos, after consulting his Council of Priests, has introduced an option to CCODP, namely an alternative collection for the Papal Charities (Letter, Jan 5). (With files from LifeSite et al.).