Editor:
Your article (“Ryan defends budget,” News Briefs, May 4) neglected to mention that nearly 90 of Georgetown University faculty and administrators wrote a letter to Rep. Ryan stating that his claims that his budget is based on Catholic social teaching is “a misuse of Catholic teaching.”
“Our problem with Rep. Ryan is that he claims his budget is based on catholic social teaching. This is nonsense. As scholars, we want to join the Catholic bishops in pointing out that this budget has a devastating impact on the poor” ( Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, Woodstock Theological Center, G.U.) They included a copy of the Vatican’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
Per the USCCB, “A just framework for future budgets cannot solely rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons.” “The House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria,” the criteria of Catholic social justice teaching.
Chris Rafalko
Cherry Hill