Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international charity organization of the Catholic community of the United States. CRS works closely with and reflects the teachings of the Catholic Church. Its stated mission is to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas and to provide assistance without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The organization meets all 20 standards for charity accountability according to the Better Business Bureau as of January 2014, and the 2013 financial reports show that approximately 92 percent of the organization’s expenditures went toward its aid programs, with the remaining 8 percent paying for general fund-raising, campaigns to increase awareness of CRS activities, and administration of salaries and expenses.

Over the course of the almost eight decades of the organization’s existence, CRS has developed ...