Chris Korzen is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 progressive political activist and author. He is co-founder and director of the influential liberal organization Catholics United

Catholics United

Catholics United is a U.S.-based non-profit 501 political organization made up of Roman Catholics "dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition." The group claims a total membership of 42,000...

. Korzen lives in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...

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Education and career

Korzen attended the College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...

 in Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

, graduating in 1998 with a B.A. in History. He worked as an organizer with the Service Employees International Union

Service Employees International Union

Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...

 and as a Web developer, and later attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Korzen also holds a Master of Theological Studies

Master of Theological Studies

A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...

 from Weston Jesuit School of Theology

Weston Jesuit School of Theology

The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Brighton, Massachusetts, United States is the graduate divinity school of Boston College and an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for service, especially within the Roman Catholic Church...

 in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

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In 2004 Korzen and fellow activist James Salt started the Catholic Voting Project, which later became Catholics United.

Writing and media activism

In 2008, Korzen co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a non-partisan, non-profit 501 Roman Catholic organization in the United States, which aims to promote "the fullness of the Catholic social tradition in the public square". The organization was founded in 2005 by Tom Perriello...

 director Alexia Kelley

Alexia Kelley

Alexia Kelley currently serves as director of the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She is the principal founder and executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good....

. The book “reintroduced the concept of the common good into the national dialogue on faith and politics, as both a uniquely Catholic and American principle. A Nation for All helped to shape the national values and politics discussion during the 2008 election.”

Korzen is an occasional contributor to the progressive online publication Huffington Post. His political opinion pieces have also appeared in the National Catholic Reporter

National Catholic Reporter

The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...

, the Washington Post's On Faith blog, and the pro-choice blog RH Reality Check.

Abortion and health care reform

While Catholics United "follow[s] church teachings to the letter" and thus, according to Korzen, teaches that abortion is wrong, Korzen believes that "one can pursue policies beyond criminalization of abortion that make that teaching present in the world," such as providing healthcare and economic assistance to families.

Korzen is a frequent media target of conservative groups and pro-life activists. In 2008, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput accused Catholics United and allied groups of "provi[ing] an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn." In October 2010, Catholic League

Catholic League

Catholic League may refer to:*Catholic League , created by Henry of Guise, in 1576 during the French Wars of Religion*Catholic League , a confederation of Catholic German states formed to counteract the Protestant Union...

 president William Donohue accused Catholics United of “taking a direct shot at the [U.S. Catholic] bishops,” and called on his members to contact Korzen via email. Korzen has also been targeted by conservative commentator Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter

Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...

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