USCCB, CRS global poverty initiative reaches quarter million Catholics

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From Catholic Relief Services, September 21, 2009
by Tom Price, tprice@crs.org, (410) 951-7450

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that they have reached over 250,000 Catholics through their Catholics Confront Global Poverty initiative, a renewed nationwide effort to address the root causes of global poverty through education and advocacy. In less than seven months, they have reached one quarter of their goal to mobilize one million Catholics.
Launched in February 2009 on the heels of Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 World Day of Peace Message on "Fighting Poverty to Build Peace," Catholics Confront Global Poverty calls on Catholics to learn about and share the stories of those struggling to rise above extreme poverty, to pray for the poorest members of our human family and to advocate with policy makers on behalf of poor people worldwide.
"The global financial crisis is having a devastating impact on people here and the poor around the world, and the progress that has been made could be wiped out for decades to come," said Ken Hackett, CRS President. "In a world where an estimated 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty, the message of the Church is clear. As Catholics, we are called to help our brothers and sisters in need." With the release of his latest Encyclical Letter, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated his plea for richer nations to stand with people living in poverty and take action, especially in light of the global financial crisis.
"Through support for economically poor countries by means of financial plans inspired by solidarity