The D&P members in Quebec and New Brunswick objected to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops standing committee on the future direction of the organization, saying it was up to members to determine D&P’s future.

Quebec’s ecumenical coalition of church-based aid and development groups, L’Entraide Missionaire, has written to the bishops and to D&P executive director Michael Casey calling for restoration of funding to Centro PRODH.

The bishops are listening to fundamentalist campaigners in English Canada rather than members of their own organization, L’Entraide’s executive director Suzanne Loiselle told The Catholic Register.

In 1967 Canada’s bishops envisioned a lay-led, democratic structure for D&P, said Loiselle. The current controversy has led to a “rupture,” she said.

“We know Centro PRODH. We know the important work this group does. We are very concerned,” said Loiselle.

Jesuit Father Luis Arriaga has finished his five-year term as executive director of Centro PRODH. He said the organization's greatest achievements have been legal battles to defend the rights of poor, indigenous women.Demands that D&P seek endorsements from local bishops for every one of its 200-plus partners in 30 countries could hobble the organization and undermine the principle of solidarity with partners based on the work they do rather than their Church connections, Loiselle said. Abortion is being used as a stick to beat D&P by people who don’t believe in solidarity, she said.

“The main thing is to fight for life, the life of everybody in the world, for the rights of everybody in the world,” she said. “It’s not really about abortion. It’s a way to discredit (Development and Peace).”

Meanwhile Jesuit Father Luis Arriaga finished his five-year term as executive director of Centro PRODH May 27. He has been replaced by another Mexican Jesuit, Fr. José Rosario Marroquin Farrera.

In his final address as executive director, Arriaga defended the work of his organization, saying its greatest achievements have been legal battles to defend the rights of poor, indigenous women.

A few days before leaving office, Arriaga was endorsed by the Jesuit provincial superiors of English Canada, French Canada and Mexico.

“People engaged in this field, as Fr. Arriaga and his team are, merit our support,” said the French-language statement signed by Fr. Jim Webb, Fr. Carlos Morfin Otero and Fr. Jean-Marc Biron.

The Jesuit statement calls Arriaga “a religious of excellent reputation in good standing with the Church who carries out the missions given to him by his Jesuit superiors.”

Spokespersons for D&P were unavailable for comment at press time.

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