Media Center“Unfair and Unfounded Accusations": Our Sunday Visitor
In a recent editorial in Our Sunday Visitor, a Catholic weekly newspaper, the Editorial Board talks of the attacks against CRS and other Catholic groups.
The editors write:
Recently, Catholic Relief Services has borne the brunt of these attacks. Our Sunday Visitor has covered this issue, both pointing out problematic situations (several years ago) and more recently defending them from what we believe are unfair or unfounded accusations. Our greater concern is that the drumbeat of criticism will deter good-hearted Catholics from giving to an organization founded by the bishops that is one of the premier first responders to the victims of disasters both natural and man-made. CRS understands, as should other Catholic aid organizations, that there are new lessons and old truths to be garnered from the attacks it is now enduring.
OSV also published a news article, which quotes some of CRS’ critics, as well as CRS’ Board Chairman, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, and CRS President and CEO, Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo.
The latest in a growing number of attacks in recent years by independent Catholic groups and individuals on U.S. bishops’ efforts to alleviate poverty, advocate for social justice and provide disaster relief has resulted in “major inaccuracies” and “unfortunate” allegations, Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, told Our Sunday Visitor in a recent interview.
Woo was responding to claims made last month by the Population Research Institute that CRS, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ international humanitarian agency, uses funding it receives from American Catholics and the federal government to distribute contraceptives and abortifacient drugs in collaboration with population control groups.
“That simply is not true,” Woo said. “We have very strict policies against doing that.”
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