Leading U.S. bishops have expressed serious concerns with President Donald Trump’s reported budget proposals for the 2018 fiscal year, noting among other fears that the proposals would decrease funding for diplomacy efforts while increasing military spending.
“The human consequences of budget choices are clear to us as pastors,” leaders of various committees of the U.S. bishops’ conference wrote to members of Congress in a May 19 letter.
“The moral measure of the federal budget is how well it promotes the common good of all, especially the most vulnerable whose voices are too often missing in these debates,” the bishops continued.
President Trump’s budget proposal for FY 2018 – to be released on Tuesday – will reportedly make deep cuts to Medicaid and other programs, and would eliminate entirely some programs that are tailored toward low-income persons, while increasing military spending and immigration enforcement funding.
Food stamps could see $193 billion in cuts over a decade, according to the AP. Farm subsidies could also be cut.
Leading bishops wrote members of Congress on May 19 saying that proposals in the budget would be “profoundly troubling.”
The signatories included Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, head of the committee on pro-life activities; Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, chair of the committee on international justice and peace; Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida, chair of the domestic justice and human development committee; and Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin, chair of the migration committee.
Especially troubling, the bishops said, are the increases to military spending, when the U.S. already outspends all other countries in this area, and cuts to foreign assistance and diplomacy at a time when conflicts around the world threaten to destabilize whole regions.
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
The Bishops should get over it. Makes me angry.
What about subsidiarity?
I am deeply distressed that those charged with care of souls distract attention from issues of primary responsibility to things which are a matter of prudential judgement in which they have no competence.
Problematic situations in matters of The Church are:
In the U.S. :
Most Catholics cannot articulate nor defend the major tenets of The Catholic Faith,
only 23% of Catholics Go to church reglarly
only 30% of Catholics believe in the Doctrine of the Real Presence
21% of Catholics believe premarital sex is always wrong
33% Of Catholics say that SSacts are not wrong
57% of Catholics believe that Artifical Contraception shouldbe abailable to teens
18% of Catholics agree with the Church Teaching that Abortion is always…
(Continued)
48% of Catholics think premarital sex is not wrong at all
31% of Catholics are actively Pro Abortion!
30% of Catholics believe they are free to choose what Church Doctrines and Teachings to agree with and which to disagree with.
These are interesting statistics. Can you tell us your source? I would like to read about them since they are a bit different that what I have been looking at. Thanks.
Trump’s proposed budget is just one part of his cynical game, it will never be approved by the Congress. The bishops and the Holy Father should be concerned by Mr. Trump’s efforts to arm the world so that U S defense companies can prosper. Satan is very pleased with Trump’s actions.
Truth!
https://i0.wp.com/occatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pope-Trump1-WEB.jpg?fit=640%2C370 https://occatholic.com/pope-president-trump-speak-of-hopes-for-peace/
The pope and President Trump are speaking of hopes for peace.
Peace will require an end to those who perpetrated the Manchester massacre yesterday. They are the evil losers that must be fraught.
Fred,
I’ve heard many people say things about Trump, but I’ve never heard about his game. What exactly is President Trump’s “cynical game.”
It is very toubling that the USCCB distract attention from issues of primary responsibility to things which are a matter of prudential judgement in which they have no competence.
Matters that need to be addressed are:
Work to insure that all Catholics go to church regularly
Make sure that all Catholics know and believe in the Doctrine of the Real Presence.
Teach Catholics that premarital sex is always wrong.
Correct the current situation to assure that Catholics know that same sex acts are wrong.
Make sure that those in their care know that Artifical Contraception should Not be available to teens.
Make sure that those in their car know the Church Teaching that Abortion is always wrong.
Correct the 48% of Catholics that think…
About protecting our great country? Oh that’s right the bishops want to bring in more MUSLIMS so they can kill us! Amazing folks just amazing
According to surveys, many Catholics don’t go to church anymore because the Catholic Faith is not taught any more. This is a perfect example of supporting politics and ignoring the Faith.
What “surveys”?
can anyone date when the american bishops started issuing a national political ‘report card’ on the government? if so. how did it develop. i remember when they got involved in the nuclear arms race issue and asked every parish to have groups watch the tv special ‘the day after’ as part of their concern campaign. it seemed to me to be perhaps above their pay scale to be able to analysze the great game chessboard in a meaning ful ( and most everyone else’s, too). i remember when jerry falwaell was powerfully speaking out against abortion, using our best catholic moral approach against it, while there was no echo to be heard from the american bishops, early seventies
‘after ‘ meaningful’ insert ‘way’
i simply realized that modern Catholicism is closer to Marxism than the traditional faith. I still hold the genuine faith close to my heart, but utterly broke my relationship with the church where I worshipped, served as a lector and sang in the choir. It’s not entirely right to blame the USCCB, as they take marching orders from a fraudulent Pope.
I’m going to state a hypothetical: Bishops can walk and chew gum at the same time. Just because they make a statement that fits the “social justice” side of the equation doesn’t mean that they aren’t working on the “save your soul” part. But then, we do have to ask if protesting the arms budget increase at the expense of the “welfare” budget is appropriate for them to comment on. I think it is. For example, if we up the defense budget, which I think they should, up to a point, but take away food stamps from the 64 million people who need them to survive, then I think the Bishops should comment on it. Where would Jesus put the money? Swords into plowshares?
According to Medicaid.gov, about 75 million people are enrolled in Medicaid of which nearly 36 million are children. This programs provides basic health care for poor people and low paid working people. In California, a family of two with an income below $22K per year qualifies for Medical. A family of four needs to make less than @ $30K to qualify. A person working for $10 per hour makes about $20,800. This is a safety net for poor people which should not be cut in the budget. You have to make less than $20,800 to qualify for food stamps. Do we cut that budget and let people starve? Speaking up for the poor is the job of a Bishop. At the same time he helps us save our souls by supporting good health for the poor.
” At the same time he helps us save our souls by supporting good health for the poor.” More Leftist Nonsense from Bob One. The welfare budget should be cut to the marrow, and work should be required of every recipient. Most of the Bishops in the this country do not believe in saving souls because they do not believe in heaven or hell. They think the Church is giant NGO to delve out taxpayer money to the “poor” the people they immediately venerate to saint hood despite their moral standings. They and most leftist have never figured out that Our Lord was speaking of the poor in spirit not the materially poor. Any excuse for these liberal bishops to take as much money from the middle class is fine by them. Tell me Bob One why should…
The bishops are for the most part, the left wing of the Democrat party. It is the duty of a nation to protect its citizens NOT to provide welfare, food stamps, housing, etc. If the Church started to teach the Gospel like She did before Vatican II, the Church would be increasing not only in numbers, but also in holiness.