Lesley-Anne Knight in her office

Credits: Caritas/Carofei

“Caritas is putting into action God’s love for the whole of humanity,” said Lesley-Anne Knight

Lesley-Anne Knight is the Chief Executive Officer with responsibility for the management of Caritas Internationalis and delivery of the strategic plan. 

Lesley-Anne Knight was appointed Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis during the 2007 General Assembly.  A British citizen, born in Zimbabwe, Ms Knight, 51, has more than 25 years of experience in international development.

Before coming to Caritas Internationalis, Ms Knight was International Director of CAFOD (Caritas England and Wales), where she was responsible for a staff of more than 200 people working in over 60 countries. She previously served as CAFOD’s Programme Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean and Head of Programme and Partner Support.

In addition to her experience with CAFOD, Ms Knight worked in Guatemala and Mexico during the 1980s for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and OXFAM, and in 1999 was Emergencies Director of the UK-based charity HelpAge International, where she was responsible for humanitarian and emergency relief programmes in northern Iraq, Kosovo/Macedonia, Mozambique, and India.

She has lived and worked in eight countries in Africa, Latin America, and Europe and speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. She holds a degree in English, French, Logic and Metaphysics and post-graduate qualifications in Business Management.

Key documents:

Speech at Catholic Networking Session 2010 International AIDS Conference (Vienna, 10 July 2010): Catholics need compassion, communion, conscience in AIDS work
Address at Caritas Cambodia 20th Anniversary 1990-2010 (Phnom Penh, 15th June 2010): Two Decades on a Journey with the Poor
Speech at Caritas Europa meeting (Madrid, June 2010): A world without poverty – a Grand Project for the 21st century
Adress at Course for Diplomats from Latin America (15 May 2010): The Catholic Church and the international policies of the Holy See
Speech at Catholic Networking Session 2010 International AIDS Conference (Vienna, 10 July 2010): Catholics need compassion, communion, conscience in AIDS work
Address at Caritas Cambodia 20th Anniversary 1990-2010 (Phnom Penh, 15th June 2010): Two Decades on a Journey with the Poor
Address to the Caritas Oceania Regional Conference (Samoa, 23 September 2009): Caritas in a Post-Crisis World
Speech at the National Press Club of Australia (Canberra, 15 September 2009): Breaking the Bottlenecks to Compassion
Caritas Internationalis Secretary General's Annual Report (June 2009): Strengthening Caritas
Speech at Europe International Forum, 1-3 July 2009
Speech at Caritas France General Assembly, 26 June 2009 (English, French)
Speech at Sudan Partnership Forum, 22 June 2009
Speech at the Global Humanitarian Forum session on climate change
Speech by Lesley-Anne Knight at the Jesuit Refugee Service and the John Felice Rome Center
Caritas in Africa Partnership Forum (Nairobi, March 2009)
- also available in French and Spanish
Caritas Internationalis Secretary General's Annual Report (June 2008)
Caritas Europa 5th Migration Forum (September 2007)
UNHCR High-Level Side Event on the Mexico Plan of Action
Caritas Internationalis 18th General Assembly (June 2007)
Catholic-inspired NGOs Forum Rome (30 November - 2 December 2007)
Catholic Social Ministry Gathering International Plenary Speech by Caritas Internationalis Secretary General
Deus Caritas Est The Church's Charitable Work and the Active Helpers
Caritas Internationalis Secretary GeneralAddress to the Caritas Africa Regional Forum Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
 Justice and Peace Integrity of Creation General Assembly (London 27th September 2008)
40th anniversary celebration of Caritas Sri Lanka