We have added a NOT RECOMMENDED category to our Charities Reports page for charitable organizations that do not flagrantly violate Catholic teaching but act in such a way that we must urge caution for those considering their support.
Chalice Canada does much laudable work in giving aid to the poor and claims with its tagline that it “Brings Christ to the poor and brings the poor to Christ.” However, this Catholic organization flat out states in its FAQ section that it will NOT evangelize the people it serves. This makes this organization no different than a secular NGO and makes the second half of its tagline a lie. Catholic charitable organizations have a duty to feed souls as well as bellies and must be held to a higher standard. Even if evangelization is not the primary aim of a Catholic organization, we are all called as Catholics to spread the Gospel, not disavow evangelization as if it were shameful.
Chalice missionaries would be taking their lives in their hands if they evangelized in India and Bangladesh. As well as any converts to Catholicism there would have their lives threatened. I have been a Chalice sponsor for many years. My first child that I sponsored was a Hindu in India. When his family moved out of the sponsor area I requested to sponsor a Catholic child. No problem. I now sponsor a little girl in Guatemala. What I like about Chalice is that very little goes towards administration; I believe over 95 percent goes directly to the sponsor areas.
We have the obligation to evangelize, but in some places we have to evangelize through how we live not by what we say. It is true that Chalice could limit its work to those places which permit evangelization but one cannot turn away from any request for help.