CV NEWS FEED // The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ department related to social justice underwent layoffs this week, a spokesman confirmed to news outlet Religion News Service.
RNS reported on June 25 that USCCB spokesman Chieko Noguchi confirmed that layoffs in the Justice, Peace, and Human Development Department (JPHDD) took place as a part of reorganization efforts.
“The reorganization will allow the Conference to align resources more closely with recent funding trends,” Noguchi stated, according to RNS.
RNS reported that the layoffs were 50% of the Department’s staff. However, Noguchi did not confirm the number or percentage of layoffs in the Department.
The USCCB faced a similar financial situation in 2022, when the Conference had to cut the several bureaus of their Catholic News Service. The Catholic publication Aleteia reported in 2022 that the USCCB cited a lack of financial resources when explaining the CNS layoffs.
According to Aleteia, the USCCB’s statement about the CNS closures and layoffs highlighted a need to reorganize resources to better reflect the current communications landscape.
The JPHDD layoffs come two weeks after the USCCB held its Spring Plenary Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky, where the bishops had a closed-door meeting to discuss the future of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).
As CatholicVote previously reported, “The CCHD yearly collection is one of the top performers in the country, and its funds help the bishops financially support local partner organizations that alleviate poverty.”
However, CatholicVote also reported that the CCHD “has been a source of controversy in the past for partnering with organizations that openly contradict Catholic Church teaching.”
Noguchi also confirmed that staff for the CCHD have been affected by the layoffs.
However, Noguchi said, “the national collection itself and the decision to award grants are separate and distinct from yesterday’s announcement. In the interest of good stewardship, the administration of the collection is being reorganized to allow for more efficient management. The CCHD Subcommittee will continue its work.”
