Understanding the USCCB's Finances

 I've got a piece up at The Pillar which is an explainer based on the USCCB's audited financials.  

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is the most visible institution of Catholic hierarchy in the United States, but also one of the least understood. While many Catholics have some sense of how their local pastor or diocesan bishop spends his time, far fewer have a clear idea of what actually happens at the USCCB.

As a prominent institution, but one without the opportunity for the personal relationships of diocesan bishops or parish pastors, the USCCB invites more criticism than praise, and the conference faces that criticism from across the ideological spectrum. 

Among the most frequent topics of critique is money: Commentators often suggest the USCCB has too much money, is spending it on the wrong things, or gets it from the wrong places.

The conference’s finances are complex, and understanding them clearly takes a little bit of work. So to help Catholics weigh what they hear about the USCCB’s money — and decide whether the critics are fair — The Pillar offers a look at the cash of the conference.

What is the financial structure of the USCCB? Where does the money come from and what does it do? We’ve got some answers. 

Two key things struck me as I did this research.  

First of all, I'd often heard people on the right complain that the USCCB gets most of its money from the US government.  The bishops' conference does receive a number of government grants, but they mostly serve as an aggregator: applying for grants (primarily to provide services for migrants and refugees) and then passing those funds on to other Catholic organizations which do the actual work.

On the other hand, I'd heard people on the left complain that the USCCB is focused almost exclusively on anti-abortion advocacy.  This is pretty clearly not the case.  The bishops spend significantly more money (and since this money spent on staff salaries: time) on Development & World Peace and immigration policy than they do on Pro-Life Activities.

You can read the full piece at The Pillar.