For more than a year, the criticisms against the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development have piled up.

Grassroots watchdog groups have dug through records and unearthed questionable connections surrounding grant recipients. Accusations have been made against key figures in the bishops’ conference. Some bishops have even distanced themselves from CCHD, announcing that their dioceses would no longer participate in the annual collection.

With so much adversity and negativity surrounding them, it would have been easy for CCHD to simply close up shop, as many critics had called for them to do. But as the bishops recognized, following the Gospel and carrying out the work of Jesus rarely means taking the easy route.

Instead, the bishops released a document which outlines a full review and renewal of CCHD. Of course, the document does include some changes to the organization and its grant process that address the criticisms. The contract that grant recipients must sign will more clearly stipulate the offenses that would result in immediate loss of funding and a review board will be implemented to oversee complicated cases. The bishops can’t guarantee that no grant recipient will ever go back on their agreement, but they are taking the necessary steps to make sure no one who opposes Church teaching receives CCHD funding.

Yes, all those important points are contained in the review document. But to focus solely on them misses the real statement that the bishops have made with their recommitment to CCHD.

CCHD isn’t, and never has been, just an organization that deals with poverty. It is a an extension of the core principles of Catholic teaching, which are rooted in service to each and every member of our society. The organization’s mission, as the bishops’ document explains, directly carries out the call of Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclicals Deus Caritas Est and Caritas In Veritate to share God’s love in charity, namely charity that secures the common good and directly addresses the needs of our neighbors.

Ultimately, the questions raised about CCHD have not been a cause to abandon ship or to end the many positive works that the organization – through the generous donations of the Catholic faithful – have made possible. Instead, it has turned into a real teachable moment on the true mission of the Catholic Church in today’s world.

The bishops have capitalized on this opportunity to remind everyone, critics and supporters alike, that Jesus called his followers to bring the Good News to the poor, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. They’ve reasserted that the Church stands for the dignity of every human being – regardless of age, race, gender or religious beliefs – and CCHD is just one tool that the bishops employ to ensure that dignity is protected and preserved.

The suggestion of critics that CCHD was working against the teachings of the Church gave cause for the bishops to better outline the real purpose of the campaign and to highlight the clear connection between its mission and the work that Jesus handed on to his disciples.

Whether the bishops’ efforts are enough to silence the critics remains to be seen. More important, however, is the fact that the Church has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the mission of the Gospel in the 21st century. And rather than arguing over the methods, hopefully all Catholics will be able to come together to work toward that common goal.