CV NEWS FEED // The federal government’s move to suspend its cooperative agreements with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is forcing the bishops’ membership organization to reevaluate how it can best serve refugees, according to USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio.
Amid the suspension, the USCCB decided not to renew its cooperative agreements pertaining to refugee support and child services, Archbishop Broglio announced in an April 7 statement.
Archbishop Broglio explained that the USCCB was founded in 1917 under the name the National Catholic War Council to support the war effort and Catholics in the military, and in 1920 it created a Bureau of Immigration to support those facing displacement. Since then, the USCCB’s partnerships with the federal government have helped expand programs that help people all over the world, Archbishop Broglio said.
“All participants in these programs were welcomed by the U.S. government to come to the United States and underwent rigorous screening before their arrival,” he said. “These are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope. Some assisted American efforts abroad at their own risk and more seek a place to worship and pray safely as they know God calls them.”
The USCCB’s work was based in charity and pastoral care, he noted. He described the announcement to not renew the current cooperative agreements as “heartbreaking.”
“This difficult decision follows the suspension by the government of our cooperative agreements to resettle refugees,” Archbishop Broglio said. “The decision to reduce these programs drastically forces us to reconsider the best way to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters seeking safe harbor from violence and persecution.”
The current national scope and form of the USCCB’s work is unsustainable, he said. As the agreements come to an end, the USCCB will be looking for alternative ways to support those already admitted in these programs, the archbishop continued, requesting prayers both for the staff and refugees who are affected.
“While this marks a painful end to a life-sustaining partnership with our government that has spanned decades across administrations of both political parties, it offers every Catholic an opportunity to search our hearts for new ways to assist,” Archbishop Broglio continued. “The USCCB will continue advocating for policy reforms that provide orderly, secure immigration processes, ensuring the safety of everyone in our communities.”
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating on behalf of men, women, and children suffering the scourge of human trafficking,” he concluded. “For half a century, we have been willing partners in implementing the government’s refugee resettlement program. The Gospel’s call to do what we can for the least among us remains our guide. We ask you to join us in praying for God’s grace in finding new ways to bring hope where it is most needed.”
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