Catholics for Choice (CFC) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that advocates for the legalization of abortion, in dissent with the teachings of the Catholic Church. CFC is not affiliated with the Catholic Church.[3] Formed in 1973 as Catholics for a Free Choice, the group gained notice after its 1984 advertisement in The New York Times challenging Church teachings on abortion led to Church disciplinary pressure against some of the priests and nuns who signed it. It has lobbied nationally and internationally for abortion rights goals and led an unsuccessful effort to downgrade the Holy See's status in the United Nations. CFC was led for 25 years by Frances Kissling and is currently led by its President Jamie L. Manson.
A number of Catholic bishops and conferences of bishops have unequivocally rejected and publicly denounced CFC's identification as a Catholic organization.[4] For example, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops,[5] have stated that CFC is not a Catholic organization and that it promotes positions contrary to Catholic teaching.[6]
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^Robert L. Fastiggi (2010). New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2009. Gale/Cengage Learning. ISBN978-1-4144-7527-1. Retrieved June 11, 2012. Catholic bishops and conferences of bishops have consistently repudiated the claim of CFFC to be a Catholic organization.