Cafod has announced that Christine Allen will take over as director in the spring. Allen, who is currently director of policy and public affairs at Christian Aid, will follow Chris Bain in leading the official aid agency for the Church in England and Wales.
But Cafod was forced to defend Allen's suitability for the role after concerns were raised about her past record. In 2002, Progressio, the charity Allen led, endorsed the use of condoms in HIV prevention. Four years later, in an article for Chartist magazine, Allen criticised Catholic teaching on contraception, which she said “simply doesn’t stack up when it comes to HIV”. The contest between supporters and opponents of Church teaching, Allen said, was fundamental: “The battle between these factions is about the very nature of church.”
