A Catholic advocacy group was delivering more than 5,000 petition signatures to the Knights of Columbus that ask the Catholic fraternal organization to stop funding divisive political issues, such as opposing same-sex marriage.
Catholics United Education Fund planned to protest Tuesday outside the Knights' New Haven headquarters.
The
liberal advocacy group, which claims 45,000 members, says the Knights
spent more than $600,000 opposing same-sex marriage in the last election
cycle.
The effort drives younger Catholics away from the faith and the
Knights should focus on serving the poor and vulnerable, the group said.
"As
Catholics who love the church, many of whom like myself have dedicated
my life to the church, are saddened that the faith is increasingly
aligned with a far right reactionary political agenda," said James Salt, executive director of Catholics United.
The Knights, which provides life insurance and is the largest lay Catholic organization
in the world, said it supports Catholic social teaching, including on
moral issues.
The group says its first concern has always been charity,
and over the past decade has donated more than $1.4 billion and 664
million hours to charitable causes.
Catholics
United, citing a report last month from a coalition of Catholics who
support gay rights, said the Knights donated more than $600,000 this
year for ballot initiatives in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and
Washington state.
Voters
in Washington, Maryland and Maine approved gay marriage earlier this
month, while Minnesota voters rejected a proposed constitutional
amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
The Catholic Church supported anti-gay marriage campaigns in those states.
The
Knights have spent more than $6 million since 2005 opposing same-sex
marriage, according to the report cited by Catholics United.