Policy & Advocacy

Catholic Social Ministry Gathering Hill Notes, February 2012

Topic
Office/Committee
Year Published
  • 2012
Language
  • English

Hill Notes for Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, February 2012

Preserve Poverty-Focused Development and Humanitarian Assistance 

The Catholic Church's Position on U.S. International Assistance Programs:

The Church views foreign assistance not as optional charity but as a moral obligation to protect human life and dignity, especially among the poorest globally. Aid embodies solidarity with vulnerable nations and advances human security. Even under fiscal constraints, programs for the least advantaged must remain priorities.

The U.S. Church brings decades of relief and development expertise through Catholic Relief Services, active in roughly 100 countries. Close partnerships with local churches ensure that assistance reflects actual needs on the ground. Moreover, Catholic social teaching offers principles to guide the ethical allocation of scarce resources.

Generous, effective foreign assistance expresses American values and strengthens global stability, thus enhancing U.S. national security. Poverty-focused aid addresses root drivers of conflict, reflecting Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching that combating poverty is foundational to building peace. U.S. leadership in international assistance is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.

Current Funding Landscape:

In 2012, Congress budgeted $19.1 billion for poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance—about 0.6 percent of the federal budget. These funds support child survival and maternal health, HIV/AIDS programs, food security, water and sanitation, peacekeeping, refugee services, and infectious disease control. Despite its scale, U.S. aid ranks low among donors as a share of national income.

Large federal deficits have led to proposals for deep cuts—13 percent in FY 2012 following an 8 percent reduction in FY 2011. While supporting prudent fiscal management, the Church warns that cutting life-saving aid deepens global inequities, undermines long-term security, and inflicts moral harm by penalizing the world’s poorest.

Catholic teaching regards the federal budget as a moral document reflecting societal priorities. It insists that the needs of people living in poverty or facing disasters have compelling moral claims. Thus, the U.S. must not balance its books on the backs of vulnerable populations overseas.
 
U.S. assistance programs should improve efficiency, accountability, and transparency without sacrificing aid to the poor. Deepening partnerships with local faith-based and civil-society organizations leverages trusted networks to deliver health care, education, and development. Conscience clauses must be preserved so faith-based actors can continue serving freely.
 
The poorest nations are most vulnerable to civil violence and war. Poverty-focused aid is an investment in peacebuilding, supporting civil society participation and democratic institutions. The Church urges sustained funding for conflict prevention and peacekeeping to avert humanitarian crises and reduce the need for costly emergency responses.

The Church urges lawmakers to draw a “Circle of Protection” around the world’s poorest by:

  • Preserving and strengthening poverty-focused development and humanitarian funding in the FY 2013 budget
  • Maintaining assistance for Sudan/South Sudan, Haiti, and similar priority countries
  • Ensuring adequate civilian staffing at USAID for effective program delivery
  • Lifting holds on Palestinian humanitarian aid to advance peace and stability

2012Hill-Notes-International-Assistance-with-Chart.pdf

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