Below is an open letter written by the author of this site to the Archbishop of Baltimore, William Lori, on 26 February 2025.
Your Excellency,
For months I was puzzled by the Knights of Columbus’ focus on Ukraine. Why, I wondered, would the order focus its charitable efforts on a country that seized churches, arrested priests, and beat parishioners?
In light of the recent USAID revelations, I now wonder: did you use your position as the Knights’ Supreme Chaplain to have the order focus its charitable efforts on that country, at the behest of the previous administration?
That would be consistent with a pattern of heretical activity in the Church that indicates close alignment with that administration. The recent activities of the Knights, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops map to its agenda:
| PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION | KNIGHTS/ARCHDIOCESE/USCCB |
| Focus military efforts on Ukraine | Focus charitable efforts on Ukraine |
| Make protecting Life a crime | Make protecting Life an afterthought |
| Promote LGBT in federal agencies | Promote LGBT in church ministries |
| Use the Catholic Charities to flood the US with millions of migrants | Use the Catholic Charities to collect many millions of USAID dollars |
During the debate on Maryland’s anti-Life “reproductive rights” amendment, you did very little to prevent its passage. At the same time, you gave a plum position to the priest who coordinated the Archdiocese’s new LGBT ministry.
Church leaders take a heretical stance at the national level as well, with awful results. With regard to the USCCB’s encouragement of illegal migration across our country’s borders, its violation of ordo amoris is enabling the trafficking of children.
Why have you and the other bishops adopted these policies? For the money, is my guess. In a US Church and Archdiocese that have been losing parishioners for decades, and had their finances depleted by legal settlements, the funds to run Church operations have been dwindling. A “generous” offer from USAID might have been very welcome.
“Let us use the Catholic Charities to bring migrants into the US illegally,” USAID might have implied, “and you can have some of the money that funds those operations.” Considering that the USCCB sued to maintain this funding, it’s easy to believe.
Blackmail could have also played a part. “Sit out the abortion debate and promote an LGBT agenda,” the previous administration might have implied, “and we’ll make sure that more incriminating information involving Church leaders doesn’t come to light.”
Does this approach the truth? The evidence certainly suggests that. It points toward a US Church and Archdiocese of Baltimore under political, not ecclesiastical, control.
The days when you could expect deference from the laity are over. A new day is dawning, and a new American civilization is arising. I would like Catholicism to be strong within it, but for that to happen, the Church needs righteous leadership.
If you can’t provide that sort of leadership, you will continue with business as usual. If you can, you’ll accede to the wishes of most Catholics here, and see that traditional ceremony and doctrine are practiced and observed in the churches of this pastorate.
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Chris Charuhas
