CRS denies promoting contraception in Africa

October 25, 2016

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has denied that the agency was directly involved in the distribution of contraceptives in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Last week the Lepanto Institute released a detailed report, showing that CRS—the official overseas relief agency of the US bishops’ conference—had “received, stored, and dispensed millions of contraceptives, including condoms, oral contraceptives, injectable contraceptives, intra-uterine devices, and even surgical sterilization kits.” The Lepanto report was based on government documents and inventory reports.

While conceding that the documents “do indeed seem to show CRS as receiving contraceptives,” the agency claimed that “unclear wording” had created an inaccurate impression. The agency said that the reports used by the Lepanto Institute had been prepared by “another organization that did not understand how important absolute clarity on this point is to CRS.”

CRS said that anyone concerned about the report should be reassured by “the twelve bishops on our board, the USCCB, and the Congolese bishops’ conference who all continue to stand by us.”

Father Shenan Boquet, the president of Human Life International, described the CRS response to its critics as “insulting.” He said: “Not one single person who knows how those reports work would deny that they entail birth/population control as a matter of course.”

 

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Further information:

• CRS rejects charges of involvement in pushing contraception in Congo (CNA)
• US bishops’ relief agency involved in African contraception drive, critics charge (CWN, 10/17)