• Fighting Poverty to Build Peace - Pope Benedict's challenge to the world
  by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, in America magazine
• Full text of “Called to Global Solidarity” by U.S. Catholic Bishops
• Excerpt from “Called to Global Solidarity“ on Theological Foundations of Global Solidarity
• Full text of “A Place at the Table” by U.S. Catholic Bishops
• Excerpt from “A Place at the Table” on our Catholic Social Tradition and Poverty
• “Making a Place at the Table” brochure, in English and Spanish
• Letters and Statements by the U.S. Catholic Bishops

• 2009 World Day of Peace Message, “Fighting Poverty to Build Peace,” by Pope Benedict XVI
• Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
• Chapter 9, Section 4, on international cooperation for development and to fight poverty
• Chapter 4, Section 3, Part c, on the preferential option for the poor
• Chapter 4, Section 6, on solidarity
• Chapter 7, Section 1, on poverty and wealth
• Chapter 7, Section 5, part a, on globalization and poverty
• Chapter 10, Section 4, part c, on poverty and the environment
• Chapter 11, Section 2, on peace and development
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Part 3, Section 1, Chapter 2, Article 3 (paragraphs 1928-48) on the human person, equality, and solidarity
• Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 7 (paragraphs 2437-42) on justice and solidarity among nations
• Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 7 (paragraphs 2443-49) on love for the poor
• Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples), by Pope Paul VI*
• Solicitudo Rei Socialis  (On Social Concern), by Pope John Paul II, 1987*

* These items are listed in order to provide a starting point for exploration of Church teaching on global poverty and development. This is not intended to be an exclusive list. Many other documents include important messages about a wide range of topics related to economic life. Please visit usccb.org/sdwp/foundationdocs.shtml for more helpful documents and statements.

Letters and Statements

• Letter to Senate on Cuts in Poverty-Focused International Assistance
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 22, 2011
• Letter to House on Cuts in Poverty-Focused International Assistance
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 14, 2011
  
• Letter in support of the Energy Security Through Transparency Act - S 1700
  Bishop Howard Hubbard, May 3, 2010
• Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee on FY 2011 International Assistance Budget
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, April 27, 2010
• Letter to House Appropriations Committee on FY 2011 International Assistance Budget
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, April 27, 2010
• Letter to Senate State and Foreign Operations Committee on the FY 2010 Haiti Supplemental Bill
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, April 13, 2010
• Letter to House State and Foreign Operations Committee on the FY 2010 Haiti Supplemental Bill
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, April 13, 2010
• Ecumenical Letter Supporting U.S. Leadership for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, April 5, 2010
  
• Letter Supporting the Conflict Minerals Trade Act - HR 4128
  Bishop Howard Hubbard, December 17, 2009
• Letter to G8 Heads of State on Poverty and Climate Change
  Presidents of Bishops' Conferences of G8 Nations, June 22, 2009
• Letter to Chairman Berman on Foreign Assistance Reform
  Bishop Howard Hubbard and Mr. Ken Hackett, May 18, 2009
• Letter to House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Climate Change
  Bishop Howard Hubbard and Mr. Ken Hackett, May 18, 2009
  
• Framework for Foreign Assistance Reform
  May 14, 2009
• Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee on FY2009 Supplemental
  Bishop Howard Hubbard and Mr. Ken Hackett, May 11, 2009
• Letter to Congressional Committees on the Effects of Excessive Speculation in the Food Crisis
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, May 6, 2009
  House Agriculture Committee (PDF)
  House Financial Services Committee (PDF)
  Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (PDF)
• Letter to the Senate Budget Committee on FY 2010 International Affairs Budget
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 20, 2009
• Letter to the House Budget Committee on FY 2010 International Affairs Budget
  Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 20, 2009
• Letter to US Congress on 2009 Budget
  Bishop William F. Murphy and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard
  March 26, 2009
• Testimony on FY 2010 Foreign Assistance to House Committee on Appropriations
  USCCB and CRS - March 23, 2009
• Questions on Church Teaching and International Assistance
  March 2009
• Backgrounder on Increase and Reform Foreign Aid
  February 2009
• Religious Statement on Foreign Assistance Reform
  February 2, 2009
• Global Food Crisis Policy Framework 
  December 09, 2008
• Letter to House on Jubilee Debt Relief Act
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, April 9, 2008
• Letter to Senate Committee on PEPFAR Reauthorization
  Bishop Thomas Wenski and Mr. Ken Hackett, March 12, 2008
• Letter to House on PEPFAR Reauthorization
  Bishop Thomas Wenski and Mr. Ken Hackett, March 7, 2008
• Letter to House Committee on PEPFAR Reauthorization
  Bishop Thomas Wenski and Mr. Ken Hackett, February 6, 2008
• Letter to Senate on Global Poverty Act of 2007
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, December 12, 2007
• Letter to Senate on the FY08 State/Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski and CRS President Ken Hackett, September 5, 2007
• Letter to House on the Farm Bill
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, July 26, 2007
• Letter to Representatives Smith and Bachus on Global Poverty Act of 2007
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, June 25, 2007
• Letter to Representatives Maxine Waters and Spencer Bachus on Jubilee Act
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, June 20, 2007
• Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill Press Release
• Joint USCCB/CCUSA/CRS/NCRLC Farm Bill Letter on Farm Subsidies
  June 15, 2007
• Joint USCCB/CCUSA/CRS/NCRLC Farm Bill Letter on Nutrition Programs
  June 14, 2007
• Letter to House Appropriations Committee on PEPFAR
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, June 8, 2007
• Joint USCCB/CCUSA/CRS/NCRLC Farm Bill Letter on Rural Development and International Food Aid
  June 6, 2007
• Letter from Bishops' Conferences to G-8 Leaders
  Bishop William S. Skylstad, May 31, 2007
• Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Secretary Paulson, and Ambassador Schwab on Trade Policy
  May 18, 2007
• Testimony on FY2008 Foreign Assistance
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, May 4, 2007
• Letter to Conferees on Emergency Supplemental
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, April 20, 2007
• Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill
  March 16, 2007
• Letter to Senate regarding "continuing resolution"
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, January 17, 2007
• Letter to House regarding "continuing resolution"
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, January 17, 2007
• Thank You: Haiti Trade Preference Pass
  USCCB and CRS, December 11, 2006
• Letter to House and Senate on FY 2007 Foreign Operations Appropriations
  CRS and USCCB, October 30, 2006
• Letter to House Representatives Urging Support of HR6142: Trade Preferences to Haiti
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, September 25, 2006
• Letter to Ambassador Schwab on Trade Relationship Between the United States and Vietnam
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, August 24, 2006
• Letter to Ambassador Zoellick on Trade Negotiations in Doha Development Round
  Bishop John H. Ricard, July 26, 2004
• Clock is Ticking on Global Trade Talks
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, June 30, 2006
• Letter to Senator Thad Cochran on Funding for 302(b)
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, May 22, 2006
• Letter to House and Senate Conference Committee on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act
  Bishop Nicholas Dimarzio and Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, May 19, 2006
• Letter to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice Urging Support for Trade Preferences for Haiti
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Ken Hackett, April 10, 2006
• Letter to Ambassador Portman Urging Support for Trade Preferences for Haiti
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Ken Hackett, April 10, 2006
• USCCB Welcomes World Bank Approval of Debt Cancellation Deal
  March 31, 2006
• Letter on H.R. 4939 to Senate Committee on Appropriations
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski and Ken Hackett, March 29, 2006
• Testimony on 2007 Foreign Operations
  USCCB and CRS, March 21, 2006
• Letter to the U.S. Senate on 2007 Budget Resolution
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, March 13, 2006
• Letter to House Committee on Appropriations on 2006 Supplemental Emergency Appropriation
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski and Ken Hackett, March 7, 2006
• Letter to The Honorable William M. Thomas on Trade Preference Legislation for Haiti
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, February 24, 2006
• Letter to ambassador John J. Danilovich on the Millennium Challenge Account
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, February 3, 2006
• Letter to Secretary Rice on Foreign Assistance
  Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, January 2, 2006
• Letter to Senate and House Majority and Minority Leader on the Hope Act
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, December 7, 2005
• Letter to US Trade Representative on Free Trade Agreement with the Andean Nations of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
  Bishop Thomas Wenski, November 28, 2005
• Letter to House Representatives on Budget Reconciliation
  November 8, 2005
• Letter on Doha Development Round of Trade Negotiations
  Bishop Skylstad, October 21, 2005
• Joint USCCB/CRS/NCRLC Letter on Budget Reconciliation Progress
  October 5, 2005
• Letter to Senator McConnell on Foreign Appropriations Bill
  Bishop John Ricard and Mr. Ken Hackett, September 26, 2005
• Letter to Senate on AGRICULTURE Act of 2006
  September 20, 2005
• Letter to Senator Frist Urging Support of Multilateral Debt Relief Act
  Bishop John H. Ricard, September 15, 2005
• Joint Communiqué of the Latin American and North American Bishops
  September 8, 2005
• Letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice on the Upcoming World Summit
  September 7, 2005
• Congress to Finalize Legislation on HIV/AIDS and Debt Relief
  July 19, 2005
• Letter to Congress on Multilateral Debt Relief Act
  July 18, 2005
• Letter to Senate on FY 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations
  Bishop John Ricard and Mr. Ken Hackett, July 18, 2005
• Statement Reacting to G8 Summit
  Bishop John Ricard, July 11, 2005
• Analysis of Agreement on HIPC Debt Cancellation
  July 7, 2005
• Letter to President Bush before G-8 Summit
  Bishop William Skylstad, June 28, 2005
• Letter to Congress on CAFTA
  Bishop John Ricard and Bishop Robert Lynch, June 16, 2005
• Letter to Foreign Operations Subcommittee on 2006 Foreign Aid
  Bishop John Ricard, Bishop Gerald Barners, and Ken Hackett, June 6, 2005
• Statement on Debt Cancellation Proposal
  Bishop John Ricard, June 14, 2005
• Letter to Chairman Kolbe on FY2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations
  Bishop John Ricard, Bishop Gerald Barnes & Mr. Ken Hackett, June 1, 2005
• Letter to FY2005 Emergency Supplemental Conferees
  Bishop John Ricard, Bishop Gerald Barnes, & Ken Hackett, April 26, 2005
• Letter to FY2006 Budget Conference Committee
  Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop John Ricard, & Bishop Bernard Harrington, April 20, 2005
• Letters to Senate on 2005 Supplemental Appropriations
  Bishop John Ricard, Bishop Gerald Barnes, & Ken Hackett, April 1, 2005
• Letter to Sen. Grassley on Agricultural Subsidies
  April 1, 2005
• Letter to House on 2005 Supplemental Appropriations
  Bishop John Ricard, March 15, 2005
• Modest Victory on Food Aid
  March 9, 2005
• Hill Message on Supplemental Budget
  February 18, 2005
• Letter to Congress on FY2006 Budget Priorities
  Bishop William S. Skylstad, February 15, 2005
• Communiqué of Andean and U.S. Bishops
  February 10, 2005
Spanish
Letter to Stephen Hadley on Debt Cancellation for HIPCs
Bishop John H. Ricard, February 1, 2005
Hill Message on Development Assistance
February 2005