The former bishop of the Diocese of Albany, Bp. Howard Hubbard, was recently accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old in the 1990s. According to the lawsuit, between 1994 and 1998, “Father Bondi and Bishop Hubbard were employed by the Diocese, they used their positions as priests to groom and to sexually abuse plaintiff.”
This isn’t the first time that Bp. Hubbard had been accused of sexual impropriety. In 2004, Andrew Zalay accused Bp. Hubbard of abusing his brother, who committed suicide in 1978. In 1995, Fr. John Minkler wrote a letter to Cdl. John O’Connor detailing a host of complaints, including liturgical abuse, false teachings, diocesan-sanctioned abortion, and rampant homosexuality among the Albany clergy.
Given the recent accusation and the history of scandalous behavior, it should not be shocking to find that Bp. Hubbard helped found, and currently sits as Vice President of the Board of a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual communist front-organization whose affiliates receive funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). In fact, this organization’s ties to the CCHD are so intimate, it immediately calls to question how the CCHD is even allowed to exist.
The organization is called Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), and as can be seen here, Bp. Hubbard was not only a member of the founding board, he is currently its vice president.
USCCB Connections to IWJ
Before we explore the serious issues with IWJ, it is important to establish IWJ’s intimate relationship with the USCCB, and specifically with the CCHD. Not only was Bishop Howard Hubbard a founding member of the Board of Directors for IWJ, but so was Msgr. Jack Egan. Msgr. Egan began a life-long friendship with the notorious Saul Alinsky in 1954. After working together for fifteen years, Msgr. Egan convinced the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops to take up a national collection to fund Alinsky’s community organizing groups in the name of fighting poverty. This collection came to be known as the Campaign for Human Development.
The fact that Msgr. Egan was a founding member of the board of IWJ in the very beginning, combined with the fact that Bp. Hubbard (also a founding IWJ board member) had been a long-time member of the USCCB’s subcommittee for the CCHD should raise several eyebrows. But the most telling connection between the CCHD and IWJ is that from at least April 2014 – May 2017, Ralph McCloud, the executive director of the CCHD itself, sat on the board of IWJ while he was accepting and approving grants to IWJ affiliate organizations.
Other founding members of IWJ include former USCCB president Bishop James Malone and the USCCB’s Public Policy Advisor from 1986-2010, Thomas Shellaberger.
In 2011, the USCCB entered into a formal collaboration with IWJ, ostensibly to “intensify its efforts to support our unemployed brothers and sisters, and their families.”
But the collaboration between the USCCB and IWJ goes back quite a way. In 2008, disgraced Bishop Gabino Zavala was the chairman of the board of directors for IWJ. Bishop Zavala, who was an auxiliary bishop under Cardinal Mahoney in Los Angeles, resigned in January of 2011 when discovered to have fathered 2 children.
And currently, the following five IWJ affiliate groups are CCHD grant recipients for 2018-2019:
- Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa
- Workers’ Center of Central New York
- Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center
- Workers Interfaith Network/Memphis Workers’ Center
- South Florida Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice
IWJ’s Pro-homosexual, Pro-abortion, Pro-Marxist leadership
IWJ was founded and until 2015, was run by Kim Bobo. Bobo got her degree in economics from the New School for Social Research. The thrust of the New School is to advance socialist and Marxist ideals through what is called the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School.
Bobo has spoken at and keynoted numerous fundraising dinners for the Democratic-Socialists of America … and in case you didn’t know, the Democratic Socialists of America is the US affiliate of the Socialist Internationale, which is international Marxism.
Founding and current board member Rev. Paul Sherry has strongly and actively advocated for homosexuality, birth control, abortion, and even supported partial-birth abortion. Sherry also participated in “The Left Forum,” a socialist convention.
Board member Karen Hessel, who serves as the Fundraising Committee’s chairman, posted a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood on Facebook in April.
She is also an endorser of the Religious Institute, a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual organization that advocates “for sexual, gender, and reproductive health, education, and justice in faith communities and society.”
Chairman of IWJ’s Public Policy committee Ken Brooker Langston is a pro-abortion, pro-lgbt socialist. As with Hessel, Langston is also an endorser of the Religious Institute.
In addition to this, he signed the Religious Institute’s “faith statement” on health care which supports both abortion and planned parenthood. That statement says, “I oppose any measures that roll back the expansion of Medicaid, deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, restrict coverage for abortion care, or defund Planned Parenthood.”
He also signed the Religious Institute’s pro-LGBT letter, which states, “We believe all people must be free to express their gender and sexuality, unburdened by discrimination, unequal treatment, or systemic injustice.”
And on Facebook, he “likes” the Socialist Party USA.
Board member Andrew Kang Bartlett is pro-socialist, pro-lgbt, and pro-abortion. On facebook, he “likes” the Democratic Socialists of America – Louisville and the pro-homosexual and pro-transgender “Fairness Campaign.”
On June 8, 2019, he posted an image that indicates being pro-life means not criminalizing abortion.
On January 21, 2017, he posed with someone wearing a vagina-mask at the pro-abortion Rally to Move Forward.
IWJ board member, Lillian Daniel is a major supporter of homosexuality and transgenderism. On Facebook, she “likes” the transgender organization called “Illusions Midwest,” “Out and Proud – Gay Dubuque,” and “Q Christian Fellowship.”
She has an image of herself posted with a rainbow overlay …
… an image of a cross over a “marriage equality” symbol …
… and a picture of herself with a drag queen with the hashtag “pride” in the post.
Board member Ligia Guallpa, supports abortion, Planned Parenthood and same-sex “marriage.” On July 22, she posted the same image posted by Andrew Kang Bartlett, which indicates being pro-life means not criminalizing abortion.
On June 13, she said she was “proud of Ecuador” while posting an article about its legalization of same-sex “marriage.”
On June 16, she posted an article celebrating the passage of New York’s new and extremely draconian pro-abortion law.
On March 31, she celebrated Transgender day. She also posted a “Stand with Planned Parenthood” overlay on her profile image.
Board member Jonathan Klein is a strong advocate for Planned Parenthood and homosexuality. In January 2017, he posted an image supporting Planned Parenthood.
In July 2015, he posted an image supporting both homosexuality and Planned Parenthood.
In June 2015, on the eve of the Supreme Court that decriminalized same-sex “marriage,” he promoted “marriage equality.”
Board Member Gemma Lowe supports both homosexuality and socialism. She “likes” Grand Rapids Michigan Democratic Socialists of America and the Socialist MST party from South America.
In June of this year, she participated in a pro-homosexual, pro-transgender event.
Board member Amy Smoucha is a same-sex “married,” Planned Parenthood supporting, pro-abortion, homosexual activist. The “about” page on her facebook profile indicates that she is “married” to Leslie Holt. She even posted a picture of her kissing her “spouse.”
Among her “likes” is the pro-abortion National Organization for Women, the homosexual organization, “Stonewall Democrats,” and the pro-abortion “Emily’s List.”
In June of 2015, she “celebrated Pride” by posting a celebrate pride poster and an image of a rainbow cake.
In September of 2015, she “stands with Planned Parenthood.”
Board Member Doug Mork posted a pro-homosexual overlay on his Facebook profile.
Board member Marilyn Sneiderman posted a “marriage equality” sign on her Facebook page, and posted an image of “handmaids” protesting pro-life legislation.
Board member Brennan Grayson “likes” the Democratic Socialists of America of Metro Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati Socialist Feminists, the Marxist Online University of the Left, the Socialism Conference, and the Marxist Zinn Education Project.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it should come as no surprise that the vice president and founding board member of Interfaith worker justice is a Catholic bishop who now stands accused of sexually abusing a teenaged boy. Bishop Hubbard’s work with this organization played a big role in its ongoing, intimate relationship with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. But it must end. IWJ is an organization that is run entirely by ideologues whose agendas are completely contrary with Catholic teaching, and the fact that the CCHD continues to provide its affiliates with funding is a grave scandal.
This is just yet one more reason why it is time to shut down the CCHD altogether.
This is just diabolical !! How did this ever get so far into the church – it breaks my heart !!! God have mercy on us !!
…and may God have mercy on them…(but Mercy requires Justice as well.)
Is there a way for the USCCB to be dissolved? It does nothing good and not Catholic.
Excellent work! I hope Catholics wake up to the nonsense happening around them!
The CCHD is a cash cow for liberal left groups that want to “fundamentally change” Catholic teaching on human nature. To them, everything should be allowed. Things are getting curiouser and curiouser on the Catholic left, and the bishops are letting them use our contributions to create their ideal, upside-down world. “Stupid is as stupid does,” uttered the very wise Forrest Gump. Bishops, please take heed and stop wasting our money.
We must storm the Bishops and make them respond.
Closing the CCHD should be very easy for even weak willed Bishops to support,because its support of IWJ is so blatantly anti church teaching that even the radical left in the church should be able to see closing it is appropriate!
This has been going on for many years. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have been giving to these types of activities for many years. We used to visit one Pro life site 10 or 15 years ago, and there were all these references to all these pro abortion and promiscuous extremist groups that were getting money from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, thru one or more of the annual Church collections. Maybe it was just a big joke on Catholics, but the bishops acted like they had no idea that they were giving to these types of groups. No wonder many wonderful and good Irish nuns went back to Ireland long ago. No wonder many of the Archbishops and the Cardinals are all for bringing in migrants to America from their own impoverished Catholic countries where they’ve pushed Liberation Theology and Socialism for many years… , and now they are preaching to get rid of our cars and air conditioning and freedoms to “Save the earth” from Climate Change! Poverty is the key for Communism. Make people poor enough and they will be your slaves right?… To think we’ve respected our own “men in black” for years, with our complicit silence.. with our quiet shrug that we were helpless to do anything. If people don’t speak up and stop the donations, not only will we not have a church, we won’t have a free country. Because today’s Church is working against our freedoms, not only for America, but for Venezuela, South America, and Europe and everywhere. I know the Democrat/Catholic/Socialist/Marxists couldn’t do a thing without the International Banking powerhouse groups… The money is central. With control over the currencies of the world, you can, buy people, buy government officials, buy lobbiests for your anti Christian causes, you can pay protesters to stand out in the streets in sunglasses like the ladies wore in one of the pictures above… Waiting for another heroic clergy man like Archbishop Vigano might take another two centuries… But if we all can make calls, firm but not mean or ugly.. write letters to the Editors of our local newspapers, run for Public offices, organize peaceful protests like the Prolife rally in Philly in May after a public official slammed praying people at an abortion clinic. We can send e-mails or texts with links/or information from groups like the Lepanto Institute or Church Militant, and have prayer rallys but not invite the clergy to speak because they will either just run their mouth to look good, or they will get harassed for speaking out. And we can pray to know there are good people in the Clergy and in Banking and in the places in the world where we think there is no freedom. Because no matter what, we really are made in God’s image and likeness. We’ve heard for too long that we people are just born bad…. and so we all believe it. We are instead God’s beloved and precious spiritual offspring..we just don’t all know it yet. God is love and we are the reflection of that Love.
Knowing that God is with us and will take care of us, we can all help to make our world safe for Freedom and people everywhere. Love is a wonderful spiritual weapon. Thank you Lepanto Institute for your courageously putting forth all of this information. Much love.
The writer of this article is absolutely shameless in his idiotic accusations! Not all religious leaders, religious activists, and people of faith agree with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, especially when those teachings themselves are caricatured by someone whose real agenda is the undermining of the pro-worker economic teachings of his own church. Different people from different denominations and various communities of faith with different positions on various issues would not be sitting at the same table if abortion or gay rights or even socialism (which is not the same as communism anymore than capitalism is the same as fascism) were the issues being addressed. But they can and do come together around an issue that concerns them all, the same issue that really concerns you and which you in reality strongly oppose: worker justice. That’s why you cannot accept the economic portions of the Social Teachings of your own Church. Maybe you should go to confession for lying!
Mr. Langston,
What, exactly, is it you claim is a “lie” in this article?
And by the way, faithful Catholics don’t WANT our spiritual leaders scandalously linking arms with or financing enemies of the Cross of Christ (those who advocate, promote, or facilitate abortion, contraception, sodomy, and Marxism) for a perceived common cause.
Respectfully,
Michael
I was a Conservative Catholic Member of the Lepanto Institute during 2000 & part of 2001. Somehow I was dropped last half of 2021 without having heard why. If I was for not paying my Annual Dues, I don’t recall ever receiving a notice explaining the circumstances for deleting me from renewing my membership w/o a reasonable purpose for dropping me.M
I truly miss your Friday Night/Saturday morning reports I so looked forward to. I thought I had explained that my husband had major Pancreatic Cancer & Bladder Cancer Surgeries on two separate occasions @ Johns Hopkins Hospital & spent 2 1/2 month’s in the hospital recovering. I was never so busy in my lifetime as in 2020, 2021 & now 2022! I want to rejoin ASAP please answer @ [email protected] (H phone is: (202) 333-5757 & FAX (202) 333-5854 in DC. Thanks!