The Trump administration’s efforts to halt funding and dismantle the United States’ capacity to provide food for the hungry, health care for the sick, and hope for the poorest people on earth are destroying the lives and dignity of millions of our sisters and brothers around the world. Much of the debate on these reckless actions has focused on who did this, how it was done, and the political dimensions of these actions.
This online Initiative dialogue took a very different approach. It focused on the human consequences and moral implications of this abandonment of our nation’s traditional commitment to the poor around the world. The dialogue looked at these actions through the experience and expertise of Catholic sisters serving the poor around the globe and the work of Catholic Relief Services, which offers life-saving humanitarian assistance in almost 100 nations. We heard directly from sisters and CRS leaders who feed the hungry, care for the sick, provide shelter to those without it, and meet the needs of those affected by conflict and disaster.
This timely dialogue examined how to assess these unprecedented challenges in light of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching. It explored through the eyes of those on the front lines what we should do to resist these destructive actions and how we can express solidarity with the poor and vulnerable around the world as well as with those who serve them.
Kimberly Mazyck, associate director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the dialogue.
Resources
View a list of resources for this dialogue.