On December 12, Caritas International celebrated its 70th anniversary. The secretary-general of the agency Leith John and the Vatican media talked about the importance of this anniversary and the urgent challenges that Caritas faces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Vatican News Network)Resolve the humanitarian needs that emerged at the end of World War II and provide assistance to victims of conflict. This is the main purpose of Pope Pius XII when he founded Caritas International on December 12, 1951. The membership of this federation was initially only 13 countries, and now there are 162 countries. During the 70-year journey, its scope of operations has expanded and its areas of assistance have also increased. Today, as at the beginning, the core purpose of Caritas International is to give concrete testimony of charity so that people can experience God’s love.
On the occasion of celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Caritas International, the secretary-general of the organization, Aloysius John, told the Vatican media, “The establishment of Caritas International is like’the church’s extended care and loving hand. ‘, aims to serve and promote human development, especially the poor, the abandoned, and the most vulnerable groups in society. In these 70 years, Caritas International has been guided by basic values, such as protecting human dignity, basic Rights and social justice. These values have always been the foundation of our work.” Leisi John went on to say, “The core of our mission is to meet the poor, and always meet the poor, as the Pope reminded us at the Caritas International General Assembly in 2019.”
During these 70 years, Caritas has been present in all major humanitarian crises. Today, in a rapidly and profoundly changing world, what are the greater challenges that Caritas will face? Leisi Ruowang said, “Compared with 1951, humanitarian assistance has undergone major changes. Today, we are facing complex and long-lasting crises, whether natural or man-made. Political differences, wars, religious conflicts and climate The effects of changes are mixed together, and the tragic consequences of these have increased the number of refugees and internally displaced persons.” In addition, the Secretary-General of Caritas International also stated that “we have to face severe inequality and new forms of poverty”.
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