The Pope francesco received the General Council of Cáritas Española in audience this afternoon on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its foundation. During the meeting, held in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father recalled that “Charity, Love with a capital letter, is the most essential trait of the human being and therefore the language that most unites us” .
“If Christ calls us to communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, your effort is aimed precisely at regaining that unity that is sometimes lost in individuals and communities,” he said. In his brief congratulatory message, Francisco reflected on the main challenges that the institution has faced in these three quarters of a century: “working from the capacities and potentials that accompany processes”, “carrying out significant actions” and “being a channel of action of the ecclesial community”.
“Give life”
With regard to the first of these challenges, the Pope indicated that “it is not the results that move us”, but “putting us before that person who is broken, welcoming them and opening paths of recovery for them, so that they can find themselves again. “, Knowing how, despite his and our limitations, to find his place and open up to others and to God”. “The only time you can look down on someone is to help them get up,” he stressed.
In relation to the effort of Caritas to “do meaningful actions”, the Holy Father invited to “give one’s life”, since Charity is not “gestures that seek to get out of difficulties”, but to offer people “an open door to a new life. “The Lord proposes that we be the leaven of a kingdom of justice, love and peace,” he said.
Regarding the mission of Cáritas to “be a channel for ecclesial action”, Francisco recalled that Charity “is not simply an orderly management of resources, or a space in which to unload the responsibility of this delicate ecclesial mission”, but of to be “that outstretched hand which is Christ when we offer it to those in need of us, and at the same time allows us to hold on to Christ when he challenges us in the suffering of our brother”.
“Example of solidarity”
The president of Caritas Española, Breton Manuel, thanked Francis for his “example of solidarity, fight for justice and care for our common home”. “Once again I want to thank you on behalf of all of us who form Cáritas Española for your commitment to continue encouraging and maintaining our institution,” he said.
Bretón expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for his “support” for “all the people who come to Cáritas in search of a better life, those who don’t get it and those who, far from the borders of our country, continue to struggle to achieve the conditions which enable them to satisfy their basic needs”.
In his message he recalled that during these 75 years Cáritas had to face difficult times. “We had to adapt, like the whole world, to the aftermath of a pandemic and a war on Europe’s gates, without forgetting all those still open in the world”, she added.
Despite a scenario of growing instability, Bretón recalled that “the hope, tenacity, faith and unconditional support of bishops, institutions, private donors and companies have been a great incentive to try to live up to the trust placed in Caritas, as a Church in its socio-charitable action”.
Omella, together with the General Council
Present at the hearing were the president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, the Cardinal Juan José Omella; the President of the Episcopal Subcommission for Charity and Social Action and Bishop responsible for Caritas, Monsignor Jesus Fernandez; the vice president Enrique Carrero; the general secretary, Natalia Peiro; the episcopal delegate Vincent Martinand the presidents of the regional Cáritas of Andalusia, Aragon, the Canary Islands, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, the Basque Country and Navarre, the Valencian Community and Murcia.
Together with them also the councilors of episcopal designation, the president of the San Vicente de Paul Association and the directors of Cáritas Castrense and of the diocesan organizations of Barcelona, Madrid, Burgos and Málaga, as well as those in charge of Cooperation , Communication, Administration, Action Social, Institutional Development and Cabinet Members.
Cáritas Española is the official confederation of charitable and social action organizations of the Catholic Church. Established in 1947 by the Spanish Episcopal Conference, its purpose is to carry out, through its confederated members, a charitable and social action.
The 70 diocesan Caritas distributed throughout Spain promote the integral development of people and countries, especially the poorest and most excluded. It develops its action thanks to public and private funding, transforming these contributions into precious figures, those who speak of development, justice and hope.
During the year 2021, Cáritas invested a total of 403,158,987 euros, of which 69% came from private contributions from donors, participants, companies, institutions, social economy entities and inheritances and bequests, while the remaining 31 % came from contributions from public administrations.
