The Vatican and leading Catholic humanitarian organizations have voiced serious alarm over recent decisions by the U.S. administration to drastically reduce international aid, including the suspension of critical USAID programs. These budget cuts, they warn, could have devastating consequences for millions of vulnerable people around the world.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, a prominent figure in the Vatican's humanitarian efforts, condemned the aid cuts as "reckless," stressing that they could result in widespread suffering and loss of life. He stated that while it is within a government’s right to reassess its budget priorities, eliminating key international aid funding raises significant moral and ethical issues. The Cardinal emphasized that dismantling well-established support structures could destabilize entire communities and reverse decades of progress in global development.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which managed more than $40 billion in aid in 2023 and accounted for approximately 40% of the world’s international assistance, has already seen key programs suspended. Catholic humanitarian networks such as Caritas Internationalis have reported that these suspensions have severely disrupted their work, affecting food distribution, medical aid, and education efforts in some of the world’s poorest regions.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which received over $928 million in government grants in 2022, echoed the Vatican’s concern. The organization highlighted that the proposed 11% reduction in foreign aid—along with individual program cuts reaching up to 25%—threatens to push countless families further into hunger, health crises, and displacement. CRS officials emphasized the critical role that continued U.S. funding plays in saving lives and promoting stability in conflict and disaster zones.
Beyond the immediate humanitarian fallout, the U.S. budget proposal also includes plans to slash the State Department’s funding by nearly half and eliminate support for several international bodies, including the United Nations and NATO. Experts warn that these measures could significantly weaken U.S. diplomatic influence and undermine international collaboration during a time of growing global challenges.
In response to the developments, the Vatican and its global network of Catholic aid groups are calling on the U.S. government to reconsider its approach. They are urging a renewed commitment to foreign aid, grounded in the values of compassion, human dignity, and international solidarity. With wars, climate disasters, and economic crises displacing and endangering millions worldwide, Church leaders argue that now is not the time for the world’s most powerful nations to retreat from their responsibilities.