The Association of United States Catholic Priests (AUSCP), which regularly hosts pro-same-sex “marriage” organizations like the New Ways Ministry and DignityUSA at its annual events, allowed a feminist organization that supports abortion, contraception, homosexuality and women’s ordination to hand out promotional materials at the recent AUSCP Annual Assembly. The organization Mary’s Pence is the first organization listed on the “Vendors & Exhibitors” page of the AUSCP program book for its 2022 Assembly.
The Lepanto Institute sent someone to the facility where the AUSCP Assembly was taking place where they were able to obtain photos of the books and collect some of the literature on the tables. This is a photo of Mary’s Pence’s table at the Assembly.
This isn’t the first time Mary’s Pence had attended an AUSCP Assembly. In 2014, Mary’s Pence live-tweeted notes from Fr. Michael Crosby’s speech to the AUSCP Assembly. In 2018, Mary’s Pence wrote on its website that it participated in the AUSCP Assembly in Albuquerque, NM, and it indicated the same for the AUSCP’s Assembly in 2021. The point is, the relationship between AUSCP and Mary’s Pence goes back almost to the beginning of the AUSCP’s founding, so there’s no way the AUSCP is ignorant of what Mary’s Pence supports or promotes.
Mary’s Pence’s “About Us” page says:
“Mary’s Pence was founded by women to support women on the margins at a time when women-led social justice projects were overlooked and under-funded.”
“Supporting women” in projects that are “under-funded,” Mary’s Pence provides grants to a variety of feminist organizations. On a page explaining the grants provided by Mary’s Pence, it says that its grantees are:
“centered on issues women face or on gender justice issues, benefitting and primarily led by cis women, trans women, or non-binary people.”
It’s clear from the outset that Mary’s Pence is all about financing moral depravity, but this shouldn’t come as a shock considering the fact that one of its founding board members was Sr. Margaret Traxler, who was among the signers of a notorious statement published by Catholics for Free Choice opposing Catholic teaching on abortion. In 1982, Traxler told Phil Donohue, “I believe women must have the right to use their free will in making decisions about their own bodies.”
Among the groups receiving funds from Mary’s Pence are organizations directly promoting abortion and contraception. For instance:
Hardy Girls Healthy Women (HGHW)
Mary’s Pence lists “Hardy Girls Healthy Women” among its most recent grantees.
On June 24 of this year, HGWG posted a statement on facebook denouncing the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it an “outrage,” while saying:
“Hardy Girls is committed to working in coalition with community partners to protect access to reproductive healthcare and to supporting youth activism for reproductive justice.”
In January of 2017, HGHW tweeted an article announcing the launch of Lilianne Ploumen’s International Abortion Fund, saying: “Banning abortions does not result in fewer abortions,”
In October 2015, HGWG tweeted support for the funding of Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion retail chain.
In 2008, the founder of HGHW signed a letter calling upon the government of the United States to:
“drop the Mexico City policy–aka the ‘gag rule’–which bars funds for AIDS-related and contraception-related health services abroad if they provide abortions, abortion information, or advocate for legalizing abortion,”
Another organization receiving funding from Mary’s Pence is:
Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas (SSFTX)
Mary’s Pence acknowledges on its profile page of this organization that it “promotes reproductive autonomy and empowerment,” which is euphemistic for “abortion.”
A cursory looks through SSFTX’s social media profiles reveals that the organization is a full-throated supporter of abortion on demand. For instance, this tweet from November 2021 makes very clear SSFTX’s intention to provide pregnant women access to abortion:
Earlier that same month, SSFTX publicly declared that “EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO ABORTIONS.”
On June 24, SSFTX wrote its lament regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade, saying that the decision made their “hearts hang heavy” because “abortion is a vital part in the Reproductive Justice spectrum.”
But Mary’s Pence’s promotion of anti-Catholic ideologies isn’t just contained in its grants. The organization itself is promoting women’s ordination to the priesthood, contraception, and sexual depravity.
Mary’s Pence Support for Women’s Ordination to the priesthood
On May 25, 2022 (The Feast of the Annunciation), Mary’s Pence posted a prayer for women’s ordination and the end to “oppression.”
On July 22, 2022, Mary’s Pence enthusiastically posted pictures of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the office of the USCCB building littered with placards calling for the priestly ordination of women.
On Dec. 28, 2016, Mary’s Pence said that it was “crushing” on the first woman to be “ordained” as a priest.
Mary’s Pence Support for Contraception
On August 12, 2017, Mary’s Pence published a blasphemous revision of the beatitudes, asserting that God Himself provides the means for contraception to women.
In June of 2017, Mary’s Pence posted an article celebrating Margaret Sanger as the inspiration behind Wonder Woman.
In May of 2011, Mary’s Pence promoted birth control as a means for reducing global fertility rates.
And in addition to its support for abortion, women’s ordination, and contraception, Mary’s Pence promotes deeply depraved sexual immorality.
Mary’s Pence Support for LGBT
On April 22, 2021, Mary’s Pence announced its grant to an organization promoting sexual depravity among children.
On May 5, 2021, Mary’s Pence promoted the grooming of children in modes of sexual depravity.
In March 2021, Mary’s Pence celebrated the Trans Day of Visibility, saying that it is their “work to promote the rights of trans women.”
In November, 2021, Mary’s Pence promoted a child-grooming book titled, “Calvin,” which they say “tells the story of a trans child.”
There are many, MANY more examples that we could have provided to prove the point that Mary’s Pence is fully supportive of abortion, contraception, all manner of homosexual depravity, and women’s ordination to the priesthood. But what we’ve presented here is sufficient.
There is simply no way that the AUSCP was unaware of what Mary’s Pence was all about and what they support. Mary’s Pence has been attending AUSCP Assemblies at least as far back as 2014, and the AUSCP is providing Mary’s Pence with a venue to promote the organization. This can only mean that either the AUSCP doesn’t care about the fact that Mary’s Pence is promoting an agenda that directly attacks the Catholic faith, or the AUSCP agrees with Mary’s Pence’s agenda. Whatever the case, AUSCP has to be condemned by faithful bishops if their influence is to be brought to an end.
Please contact your bishop and tell him about this article, asking him to formally and publicly condemn the AUSCP, forbidding his priests from being members.
Any further denial from the AUSCP would be foolhardy at this point.