Media CenterBishops from Around the World Express Support for CRS

Catholic Relief Services works in countries around the world at the invitation of the bishops. We are humbled and honored by the words of support bishops have given us. Below are some examples.

Archbishop Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno, s.j., of Huancayo, Peru
"As the Archbishop of Huancayo, I thank God for the solidarity of those who have accompanied us, through these years as Church, strengthening  our gospel call to serve the neediest." Read the full letter.

Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu of Konongo-Mampong Diocese in Ghana and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference
"The operations of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Ghana over the years have strenghtened the fraternal relations between the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GBBC) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)." Read the full letter.

Archbishop Carolo Maria Vigano, Apostolic Nuncio, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis
"The Holy Father is especially mindful and appreciative of the praiseworthy mission of Catholic Relief Services and, as a sign of his esteem and spiritual closeness on the occasion of CRS' 70th Anniversary, cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing." Read the full letter.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Administrative Committee
"The U.S. Catholic bishops stand firmly behind CRS in its commitment to promote and defend human dignity and the sacredness of every human life from the moment of conception until natural death, and at every moment in between," the bishops said. Read the full statement.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, South Africa and president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference
“Our own region of Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland has benefitted much since CRS was established in South Africa in 2000.” Read the full letter.

Archbishop Gracias of Bombay, India and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
“CRS and CBCI also worked closely together on an enormous and long-standing food program supported by the U.S. Government that assisted millions of people through a variety of education, health, agriculture and emergency programs.” Read the full letter.

Archbishop Tarcisio Ziyaye of Lilongwe, Malawi, and chairman of AMECEA
“Indeed CRS has been our major partner in our response to emergencies, fighting diseases and poverty and nurturing peaceful and just societies.” Read the full letter.

Bishop Sebastian of Caritas Chad
“CRS truly demonstrates to us in Chad the love and solidarity of our sister Church in the United States and their support to our Diocesan Conference of Justice and Peace in all the 8 dioceses of Chad…” Read the full letter.

Archbishop Paul Ouedraogo, president of the Burkina Faso/Niger Episcopal Conference and OCADES Caritas Burkina
“CRS works in Burkina respecting the principles and values of the Church, in perfect harmony with the Church family of God and in conformity with Catholic Social Teaching.” Read the full letter.

Archbishop Abune Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, and Rev. Abba Hagos Hayish, the secretary general of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat
“In the course of the difficult times in the history of Ethiopian people, CRS has printed a noble monument of history that will remain fresh in the decades to come. CRS gave birth of a strong structure and institutional capacity through which the local church is managing to serve more than fifteen million Ethiopians per year.” Read the full letter.

Archbishop Coulibaly of Conakry, Guinea
"I express my support and that of all Christians in my archdiocese for the noble work you’ve achieved in my diocese in particular and in Guinea in general. I want to particularly commend your efforts to fight malaria which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Guinea." Read the full letter.

Bishop Bertin of Djibouti
"...in my experience with CRS, in the 90ies for Somalia and in these years of the new millennium also here in Djibouti, I have been always touched by the professionalism of CRS employees, and also by their respect, openness and fidelity towards the Catholic Social Teaching, the local Churches and the local Caritases." Read the full letter.

Felix Mbete, the director L’UNAD-Caritas in Chad
“CRS in Chad has implemented in a concrete manner for the last 30 years its mission to help the poorest and most disadvantaged by working in the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching for the promotion of the sacredness of life and the dignity of the human person.” Read the full letter.

Bishop Pates of Des Moines, Iowa
"I spent a week at the SECOM meeting in Kinshasa where bishops from all African countries but two participated. To a person, they were laudatory of the mission and ministry of CRS. As a matter of fact, their admiration for CRS was usually the first subject in our conversations." Read the full letter.

Related article:

• CRS Upholds Catholic Teaching and Values