Washington D.C., Feb 25, 2009 / 04:10 am
Fr. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA has defended his acceptance of a position on President Barack Obama’s Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, saying there is some convergence between Church teaching and the Obama administration’s policies despite other “very clear disagreements” on issues such as abortion.
He delivered his comments on Monday at the 2009 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C. The annual event is co-sponsored by 18 national Catholic organizations, including Catholic Charities USA.
Thanking those who congratulated him on his appointment to the President’s Council, Fr. Snyder said he also received a “fair amount” of what he termed “hate mail.” According to Fr. Snyder, such mail questioned why he would associate with a “contemporary Hitler” and told him he would probably go to hell for accepting the appointment.
Responding to critics, he said: