WASHINGTON — Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas relief agency for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, says that it worked with a leading Catholic bioethics group in conducting careful reviews to ensure that its funding decisions were in alignment with Church teaching.
"Catholic Relief Services, in communion with the Church, strictly upholds Catholic moral teaching,” the organization said.
“All of the CRS programs and all of the funds used by CRS are entirely consistent with Church teaching.”
In a statement provided to Catholic News Agency, the group responded to recent concerns raised about its funding of CARE, an international humanitarian organization that provides relief to the needy in developing nations but also offers contraception and early abortion-inducing drugs.
Catholic Relief Services said that it “always has taken very seriously decisions we make about the groups with which we collaborate or form partnerships to ensure that we are not violating Church teachings.”
The agency stressed that it promotes “abstinence and natural family planning, as embraced by the Church,” and reiterated that it does not “fund, support or participate in any programming or advocacy that is not in line with Church teaching, including artificial birth control.”
The organization said that concerns over CARE had previously been raised. In response, it teamed with Dr. John Haas of the National Catholic Bioethics Center to undertake “a thorough review” of all its partnerships.
The resulting report determined that the activities being reviewed did not “suggest support of or involvement in immoral activities” and that there was “no material cooperation with evil.”
In addition, it found that the funding from Catholic Relief Services was not “fungible,” meaning that there was “little to no risk” of the grant money being used for purposes beyond those listed in the grant request or freeing up money for immoral purposes within the receiving organizations.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center did, however, determine that “there could be a risk of controversy or scandal over such partnerships if people become confused and wrongly assume that CRS was endorsing a partner’s position on other issues.”
To prevent such a misunderstanding, Catholic Relief Services worked with the bioethics groups and the bishops to make their adherence to Church teaching clear through their mission statement and communications: “Faithfulness to Church teaching always has been and always will be our policy."
Edward Pentin: Images of Rome's 2013 March for Life
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Not clear enough, evidently.
I’m confused. I’ve supported CRS, but I do not support CARE. Did CRS fund CARE at any time? I don’t think I’m getting a straight answer…Yes or No?
Money should never be provided to any organization that supports abortion, contraception, euthanasia, the homosexual lifestyle, etc, even if they promise only to use that money for other purposes. “...funding of CARE, an international humanitarian organization that provides relief to the needy in developing nations but also offers contraception and early abortion-inducing drugs.” AND the USCCB should never give $ to those where “there could be a risk of controversy or scandal over such partnerships if people become confused and wrongly assume that CRS was endorsing a partner’s position on other issues.”
This causes SCANDAL and is a cop out.
Based on the logic from the USCCB staffers, its OK to provide money to the likes of a Hitler since he did some good things like building roads as long as the money is only used for the good things and not the bad like killing people. How does it make sense to allow for the scandal of supporting any organization that violates Church teaching?!! The USCCB position will allow for the giving of any money to anyone as long as they only purchase paper and other good things with it.
I am grateful that there was a study done to determine where funding from CRS went. The amount of funds provided must be substantial and the bishops must ensure that Church teachings are upheld and evangelized.
With that being said, I pray that the report did not use a bookkeeping trick to say that funds are not directly being used. The gravity of the charges required full disclosure and strict adherence to Catholic morality.
I stopped donating to CRS when I discovered that they continued to employ the woman who intentionally drove her car into the March for Life after she’d done it, and continued to have her speak publicly on their behalf.
CRS gave CARE 5 million dollars. 5 million dollars. Michael Voris explains it best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1PikDWiFms8
Dr. John Haas has spoken, and he contradicts CRS: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/john-haas-i-advised-catholic-relief-services-not-to-fund-care
Both the CRS and CCHD need to be disbanded. They are like the money changers in the Temple causing grave Scandal.
All the USCCB needs to do is provide a list of Faithful Catholic organizations to help us with our personal donation process.
It would also pare down the bloated USCCB budget supporting 300+ employees, allowing more money to go to those truly in need.
The LifeSite News stories are riddled with inaccuracies. Read the facts and decide for yourself.
CRS Refutes Inaccurate Accusations: http://newswire.crs.org/crs-disputes-lifesitenews-article/
John Haas Refutes July 24 LifeSite News Headline: He Did NOT Advise Catholic Relief Services Not To Fund CARE: http://newswire.crs.org/john-haas-refutes-lifesite-news-headline/
You can also read the account of Dr. John Haas of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, who did the theological analysis for CRS. He has not contradicted anything we’ve said in our statements. He does dispute the accuracy of the LifeSite News piece that “quotes” him. To their credit, they changed their grossly misleading headline, but left inaccurate information in the body of the story. http://www.ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=1263
The Catholic Relief Services SCANDAL is just one more thing that makes the US BISHOPS a laughing stock among enemies of the Church. On the internet, please see: “RESPONSE to CSR DEMAND 07-25” by ChurchMilitantTV (formerly RealCatholicTV).
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