By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) equips people in impoverished countries around the world with tools, knowledge and sustenance to enable them to survive and thrive. The exemplary mission of CRS, the U.S. bishops’ overseas development and humanitarian agency, is in jeopardy because of a freeze on U.S. Aid for International Development (USAID), which funds an estimated 50-60% of CRS’ budget.
The Administration made an exception for lifesaving humanitarian assistance, but CRS reported Feb. 13 “organizations are currently not able to access money to implement lifesaving programs.” That same day, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ordered the temporary lifting of the freeze. Frozen or thawed, the consequence is uncertainty for the millions of people who depend on CRS and the many employed to provide services and sustenance.
CRS success stories abound, such as its work with Bolivian fishing communities, which struggled to cope with the loss of Lake Poopó. Local economies were devastated when the saline lake dried up around 2015, according to a video on the CRS website. CRS worked with the communities to set up a permanent water system for residents and their livestock. In Oaxaca, Mexico, CRS partners helped local farmers implement adaptive agricultural systems in response to the repercussions of reduced rainfall in the region. “Those who support us are giving us hope,” one farmer said in the video. Catholic Messenger reporter Lindsay Steele shared these two success stories in a story that appeared in this publication last October.
In a joint email, CRS and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said, “With programs paused, the effect is dire.” They cited two examples: families in Ukraine living in severely damaged homes without access to home repairs and safe housing in freezing temperatures, and nearly 8,000 people in Vietnam with disabilities and their caregivers unable to receive therapy, equipment and support.
Our country may be embracing an “America First” approach but as Catholics, our Church calls us to put the needs of others before our own. The first among the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching is Life and Dignity of the Human Person (https://tinyurl.com/ywjeaa3z). “Humanitarian assistance is an essential investment to protect life, uphold human dignity, and pursue sustainable solutions to the world’s toughest challenges,” CRS stated in a recent action alert. “When societies thrive, they contribute to greater global stability, reduce the risk of conflict and create safer, more prosperous environments that benefit everyone, including Americans.”
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable is another one of the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. “He who has the goods of this world and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 Jn 3:17). St. Paul VI included that verse from Scripture in his encyclical “On the Development of Peoples” (“Populorum Progressio”, no. 23), which the USCCB cited in its explanation of this theme.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a critic of USAID, wrote (Feb. 4) to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “The American people are rightfully raising questions regarding USAID’s vast and unmonitored funding of foreign interests, especially as the agency leverages contractors with such a checkered history. As I’ve said time and time again, Americans deserve answers about how their tax dollars are being spent abroad.” Church leaders welcome a review of USAID’s funding practices but not draconian measures that create upheaval and despair in the lives of the poor and vulnerable.
Our faith calls us to do the right thing:
- Learn more about USAID. Contact Deacon Kent Ferris, diocesan director of Social Action and of Catholic Charities (ferris@davenportdiocese.org). His knowledge of USAID is extensive.
- Support CRS by going to this link (https://tinyurl.com/2p9nnrht). Urge members of Congress to engage with the Administration to allow foreign assistance programs to operate during the review process. Iowa State Rep. Ashley Hinson serves on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Find your member of Congress at (congress.gov)
- Visit the CRS website (crs.org) to support and to learn more about the organization.
- Support the CRS Rice Bowl (the 50th anniversary is this Lent).
- Watch for USAID updates on the USCCB website (usccb.org) and The Catholic Messenger.
- Listen and pray. “Listen to those affected,” Deacon Ferris advises. “Pray for our elected leaders that they, too, listen to those they represent.”
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
