Trump aid move hits Catholic agency hard

By CathNews New Zealand

February 13th, 2025

Catholic Relief Services in the US, which reaches more than 200 million people in 121 countries, is facing major cutbacks because of significant reductions in US foreign assistance ordered by the Trump administration. Source: National Catholic Reporter.

CRS is the top recipient of funds from the US Agency for International Development, known as USAID.

Layoffs have already begun as CRS has been forced to begin shutting down programs funded by USAID, which supplies about half of the Catholic organisation’s US$1.5 billion budget, said CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan in an email sent to staff on February 3.

President Trump issued an executive order on January 20 that paused all foreign development assistance for 90 days while programs were reviewed for efficiency and alignment with the new administration’s goals.

Church and faith-based organisations received less than 6 per cent of USAID funding for non-profit organisations, with more than half of those funds going to Catholic Relief Services.

Among the programs and services provided by CRS are those in areas such as water and sanitation, education, agriculture, health, microfinancing, climate change resilience, as well as justice and peace-building programs in addition to emergency and disaster assistance.

Caritas Internationalis released a statement on February 10 saying that stopping programs funded by the US Agency for International Development and recalling overseas staff “will jeopardise essential services for hundreds of millions of people, undermine decades of progress in humanitarian and development assistance, destabilise regions that rely on this critical support, and condemn millions to dehumanizing poverty or even death”.

The Caritas statement said it recognises “the right of any new administration to review its foreign aid strategy”, but “the ruthless and chaotic way this callous decision is being implemented threatens the lives and dignity of millions”.

Ten days after President Trump signed the executive order, CRS and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops sent an email “action alert” that urged fellow Catholics to call on Congress to lift the freeze on foreign aid.

The Trump administration has also suspended a federal refugee resettlement program as part of its broader effort to enforce its hardline immigration policies. This will likely affect Catholic agencies, too.

FULL STORY

Exclusive: Catholic Relief Services lays off staff, cuts programs after USAID shakeup | National Catholic Reporter (By Brian Roewe and Brian Fraga/National Catholic Reporter)

Catholic Relief Services and bishops launch quiet online campaign to halt deep cuts | National Catholic Reporter

Caritas Internationalis calls U.S. foreign aid freeze ‘ruthless’ – OSV News CNS