Once again, some parishes of the Diocese of Gaylord are offering Operation Rice Bowl containers to help fund Catholic Relief Services. This program is run by Catholic Relief Services. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has a long track record of anti-Catholic programming. The Lepanto Institute has a thorough review of this organization and its anti-Catholic stances. The analogy of a wolf in the hen house, or traitor in the ranks, holds true for this organization. Dr. Christian Brugger, a Catholic moral theologian, gave a concise review of this topic. It is summarized below:
CRS:
- In its own documents, promoted condoms and masturbation to vulnerable people as young as 11.
- Financially supported an abortion promoting organization called RENATA.
- Created health referral networks that include contraception providers.
- Participated in public events intended to introduce vulnerable people to various types of contraception.
- Incorporated graphic comprehensive sexual education programs into its projects.
- Implemented contraception-pushing DREAMS project in multiple African countries.
Despite years of exposing the problems with Catholic Relief Services, various churches and dioceses in the United States continue to donate to this organization. Furthermore, Catholic Relief Services and other Church organizations receive millions of dollars from the federal government. This has recently been exposed by the Trump administration’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
Catholics have a right and a duty to be good stewards of their dollars, which ultimately are given to the faithful as a gift from God. Therefore, it is incumbent upon them to make sure, to the best of their abilities, that their dollars are going to appropriate and worthy causes.
It is a continued scandal in the American Church that such organizations are funded not only by tax dollars but by the Church itself. Gaylord Diocesan Watch continues to monitor this and other situations in our Diocese in order to serve the Bishop, clergy, and faithful of the Diocese in making informed and appropriately moral decisions regarding a host of issues including financial ones.