(RNS) — Less than two weeks after many U.S. bishops made a strong show of support for the conference’s domestic anti-poverty initiative, staff members from that initiative and others were laid off on Monday (June 24) as part of a restructuring of the wing of the conference that supports Catholic social teaching.
Chieko Noguchi, the spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, confirmed layoffs and a restructuring of the department of Justice, Peace & Human Development in a statement to Religion News Service. “The reorganization will allow the Conference to align resources more closely with recent funding trends,” Noguchi wrote.
The department includes programs focused on international policy, domestic policy, environmental justice, racism, education and outreach, as well as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, an office supervising grants to U.S. community organizations working on systemic solutions to poverty issues. The future of CCHD was a major topic of debate at the most recent bishops’ meeting; however, the wider cuts to the department of Justice, Peace & Human Development came as a shock to many.
Go here to read the story. With apologies to Oscar Wilde, it would take a heart of stone to not roar with laughter over this.
Hilarious, to be sure.
I have seen the incompetence of US Bishops’ Conference up close in past decades. They really can’t organize a one-car funeral procession.
Or dirty activity in a brothel (didn’t want to get myself banned 😎)
The USCCB can’t organize a dirty activity in a brothel. Ha!
We had professional organizers on my old submarine and every time we pulled into port, things were ready. The USCCB doesn’t hold a candle to 120 determined submarine sailors at the old Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico.
USCCB doing layoffs? Couldn’t happen to a better orgnization! Worthless, useless, lavender-laced, effeminate idiots.
The article says that “the future of CCHD was a major topic of debate at the most recent bishops’ meeting” but weirdly can’t seem to find anyone saying anything negative about the CCHD. Not one critical thing in the 1000-word article. They must be cutting the single most popular program in the whole world. How could there have been a major debate about it? And where did the people who were debating disappear to, when the journalists went out to research an objective article?
Bureaucratese for “we ran out of money.”
A small apartment or if truly needed, a 1,400 sq.ft. home to reside in.
What a grand example to give to others as they are invited to the Bishops residence.
“ran out of money” Most of us toss that collection envelope in the recycle bin. About 15 years the then resident priest in his homily told us he did not contribute to CCHD and why. Acorn was the tip of the iceberg.
The Bishops Lenten Appeal starts during Christmastide. That’s down to a trickle.
Same for Catholic Charities on the border.
Meanwhile, Bp. Paprocki of Springfield IL (who disengaged from the CCHD years ago, and replaced it with a diocesan collection) proposes abolishing the CCHD in favor of a National Campaign for Catholic Education, which he believes would be far more effective in combating poverty:
https://dio.org/catholictimes/bishops-column/
While I think Bishop Paprocki’s idea is laudable and far more realistic in the means achieving the stated ends, is there any reason to believe it wouldn’t be as badly managed and co-opted as the CCHD?
I think the entire paradigm of national or large scale charitable organizations is probably what needs to be sunsetted.