Catholic Charities’ Padua Program: Naturalistic Humanism Masquerading as Supernatural Charity
The EWTN News report details the expansion of the “Padua program” by Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) into the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago via a partnership with Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago. The program, developed in 2015 and validated by a randomized controlled trial from the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), boasts statistical improvements in employment, income, and housing stability for participants. It operates on a “client-led” model with two-person case management teams, no arbitrary time limits, and eligibility requiring only adulthood and a willingness to work. The article highlights the testimony of “Lisa,” a divorced mother who received counseling, culinary training, and financial coaching. This initiative represents the complete substitution of the Church’s supernatural mission for the salvation of souls with a secular, NGO-style poverty alleviation model, baptized in the name of St. Anthony but devoid of Christ the King.