CRS Executive in Same-Sex ‘Marriage’

UPDATE: Estridge’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles have been deleted.

UPDATE #2: Estridge has resigned.  Also, the marriage certificate images on this page were altered so as to block out Mr. Estridge’s street address.

Public records obtained  from the Clerk of Circuit Court for the City of Baltimore, Maryland show that Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Vice-President of Overseas Finance is in a same-sex “marriage.”  His postings on facebook also indicate that he actively and publicly supports  same-sex “marriage.”

According to Linkedin, Rick Estridge is Vice-President of Overseas Finance at Catholic Relief Services.  In his online profile, Estridge states his duties at CRS as follows:

“As Vice President of Overseas Finance, I lead the development and implementation of all overseas financial management systems, policies, processes and activities to ensure strong resource stewardship, operational efficiency, consistent financial performance, risk mitigation, and exceptional financial management across all overseas operations. I also act as the lead Finance representative of the Agency to all donors, partners and other stakeholders related to overseas financial reporting, and contract/agreement, policy and compliance matters related to overseas financial management.”

According to page 26 of this document written by CRS, Estridge was either a regional director or country representative for CRS in 2001 and has been an employee of CRS ever since.  Estridge assumed his role as Vice President of Overseas finance in April of 2013.  Prior to that, he spent four and a half years as Manager of Finance and Administration for CRS’s program called AIDSRelief, he spent two years as Senior Technical Advisor for Finance and Management in Emergencies, and five years as Director of Overseas Finance.  All told, Estridge has been working for CRS for at least fourteen years.

The Lepanto Institute applied for Estridge’s public marriage record from the City of Baltimore.  A link to the document as it arrived in the mail can be viewed by clicking here.  Below is a section of the marriage record, with key areas highlighted.

It may be coincidence, but it is worth nothing that Estridge entered into his same-sex “marriage” the same month he was promoted to a vice-presidential position at CRS.

In addition to being in a same-sex “marriage,” Estridge has clearly advocated for same-sex “marriage” on his facebook page.  To be clear that this is the same individual, here is a picture of Estridge on his own facebook page.  By comparing this image with that on the linkedin page, it’s clear that this is the same person.

What follows below are a series of screen-captures showing Estridge’s support and promotion of homosexuality and same-sex marriage.  This first image is taken from his “about” page on facebook, where all of the organizations he “likes” are listed.  Of note are the following, Matthew Shephard Foundation, Gay Rights, Human Rights Campaign, No H8 Campaign, and Freedom to Marry.

In a facebook post by the Human Rights Campaign (which is all about same-sex marriage), Estridge thanked the four politicians mentioned “for their leadership.”

In the next post, Estridge actually suggested sending Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern to Gitmo (a military prison that held unlawful combatants during the War on Terror), because she filed three bills against same-sex marriage and suggested that the notion that ‘homosexuality is normal and healthy’ is more dangerous to young people than terrorism is.

Conclusion

Bishops across the country are working hard to defend their schools and parishes against the encroachment of those openly and actively engaging in sodomitical acts.  In San Francisco, Archbishop Cordileone is fighting to preserve Catholic principles in archdiocesan high schools.  Bishop Lenon in the Diocese of Cleveland has banned teachers in his diocese whose “actions or speech” in any way support abortion, contraception, or same-sex “marriage.”  In Omaha, Nebraska, a man had lost his teaching contract renewal at a Catholic high school because of his plans to “marry” another man.  And while all of this is taking place, a man in a same-sex “marriage,” who actively advocates for same-sex “marriage” on facebook, holds a Vice-President’s position at Catholic Relief Services.

There is something very seriously wrong with that picture.

Considering that Catholic Relief Services claims to uphold Catholic moral teachings, while it is regularly caught doing the opposite, one has to wonder how many other individuals such as Rick Estridge hold high level positions at CRS.  And if other individuals such as Estridge hold high positions, how many of them are responsible for conducting the internal investigations at CRS which tend to exonerate them of any wrongdoing, even when all the facts say otherwise?

With a high level executive at CRS being involved in a same-sex “marriage,” it becomes very difficult to trust the “Catholic Identity” of the organization.  It is also very difficult to take CRS seriously as a Catholic organization, especially since this man was elevated to his vice-president’s position in the same month he was “married.”  In light of this, it is worth noting that the funding for the contraception-promoting programs implemented by CRS appear to have been conducted under the auspices of this vice-president.  This may not be the case, but it is a possibility that the bishops really should explore.