CRS Does Not Distribute Abortifacient Contraceptives in the Madagascar Capital; the Archbishop Threw Them Out of His Office for Other Reasons

Contact: Anne Morse, Population Research Institute, 540-660-2733, anne@pop.org

FRONT ROYAL, Va., Aug. 6, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- CRS announced yesterday evening that Archbishop Odon Razanakolona of Madagascar has told Bishop Gerald Kicanas, chairman of the board of directors of CRS, that Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was not involved with providing contraceptives or abortifacient drugs in his Archdiocese of Antananarivo.

But neither we, nor Archbishop Odon, ever accused CRS of this.

Archbishops Odon's complaints about CRS, which he shared with us in a taped, on-the-record interview, lay elsewhere:

"That's what really hurts me. How to work with those CRS people?... But, you know, as soon as I speak of a 'partnership' with them, then everybody runs away and hides."

"And then, the money that CRS gets: a large part of it goes towards administration, while they make us work like dogs. And then they collect two-thirds...and they give us crumbs. They are the ones who need to explain: Why do they receive such big salaries?"

"Yes; one time, for 'visibility' purposes, they [CRS-Madagascar representatives] came in here [to my office] and asked me to put up this thing, this sign, with "USAID" on it; to put it up behind my desk. I threw them the hell out of my office: 'Take your sign and your money out of here. I don't need it. I've lived in my poverty; leave me in my poverty.'"

CRS uses its misrepresentation of the facts to falsely claim that Archbishop Odon has "repudiated" and "den[ied] allegations made in a series of articles published by Population Research International (PRI)." He did no such thing.

We note that CRS can't even get our name straight. We are Population Research Institute, not Population Research International.

PRESS CONTACT: Anne Morse, Tel: (540) 660-2733, email: anne@pop.org