From .............. National Catholic Reporter

December 20, 1996

page 8

BISHOP CALLS FOR AID INCREASE

Bishop Anthony Pilla of Cleveland, Ohio, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, has called on President Clinton to seek an increase in foreign aid in the 1998 federal budget.

"As one of the wealthiest of industrial nations, our country should be in the forefront of international development assistance," Pilla said in a letter to Clinton made public Dec. 6. "Unhappily: we stand at the bottom of the industrial nations in the proportion of GNP devoted to aid for the poorest countries."

Pilla said that "recent and continuing persistent cuts" in U.S. foreign assistance are of "grave concern" to U.S. bishops and have dramatically affected the ability of Catholic Relief Services and other aid agencies to serve the poor. Much foreign aid is channeled through private and religious aid agencies such as Catholic Relief Service.

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