Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: Abide in My Love
May 2, 2024Thinking it Through: Francis on “False Human Securities”, by Dr. Jeff Mirus
May 3, 2024
By Michael Hichborn, Lepanto Institute, May 1, 2024
Since 2016, the Lepanto Institute has written about the Quid Pro Quo lobbying efforts of both the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on behalf of federal aid and development agencies.
In May of 2016, we provided details regarding a joint-letter the USCCB and CRS sent to Congress requesting nearly $6 billion to be allocated for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). At the heart of our concern was the fact that USAID and PEPFAR together consist of the world’s largest suppliers of contraception and condoms. The next month, we published the correspondence between a tenacious Catholic and a representative of the USCCB, who reluctantly admitted that the funding request made by the USCCB and CRS would include coverage of contraception and condoms.
In 2018, we called out both the USCCB and CRS for requesting “robust funding” for PEPFAR and the Global Fund, an agency which has provided grants for the spread of contraception and even made grants directly to Planned Parenthood.
In 2019, we reported on the testimony of CRS’ Executive VP William O’Keefe to Congress urging for billions of dollars to flow into PEPFAR, USAID and the Global Fund. This report also detailed USAID’s sordid history as an intended population control group.
Since that time, the USCCB and CRS have continued the call for funding of these contraceptive agencies unabated, including the most recent iteration from April 25th of 2024.
