Caritas in Colombia helped plan and rebuild a river port in the Catatumbo region, near Venezuela. Rebuilding the port contributed to efforts to link up communities in a zone previously at the mercy of rebel and paramilitary activity. The Colombian government and FARC rebels signed an historic peace agreement in 2016 following decades of civil ...
Address: Cr 58 N°. 80-87, Barrio Entre Ríos, Bogotá, Colombia
Telephone: +571 437 7150 Fax: +571 337 7171
Email: snpscol@cec.org.coc
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Caritas Colombia is the organisation of the Bishops’ Conference that is responsible for animating the exercise of charity as a dimension of evangelisation and promotion of human development to advocate for the building of truth, reconciliation and justice in society. Its work is always enlightened by the Gospel and the social teaching of the Catholic Church. Thus fair and efficient efforts on behalf of the various communities of the country’s 76 ecclesiastical jurisdictions are consolidated.
On its creation in 1956 by the Bishops’ Conference of Colombia at the 18th Plenary Meeting, the National Secretariat of Pastoral Social – Caritas Colombia determined that given the overriding need in the country to coordinate the various Catholic social welfare initiatives, it was necessary to establish a national organisation reporting to the Episcopal Social Pastoral and Charitable Commission that would join forces to contribute to social welfare and solidarity initiatives.
During these six decades, countless successes have been achieved that have impacted the state of the nation, giving rise to various faith-based responses in the social, political, economic, cultural and religious fields. Thanks to these efforts, important changes have been achieved in communities and organisational systems. The aim is to mitigate the negative impacts on the population caused by disasters, displacement and poverty, among other situations.
Caritas Colombia maintains close ties with Caritas England and Wales (CAFOD), Secours Catholique (Caritas France), Caritas Scotland (SCIAF), Caritas Netherlands (CORDAID), Caritas Switzerland, Caritas Luxembourg, Caritas Germany, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Caritas Spain, among other organisations.
Updates from Colombia
Caritas found profound inspiration in Paul VI’s encyclical Populorum Progressio, where the Pontiff stated that “development is the new name of peace”.
Charity to constantly struggle against the dehumanisation of the human person by promoting solidarity through sharing and caring for vulnerable communities.
Caritas will showcase artistic activism of Share the Journey campaign on behalf of migrants and refugees, as its pledge in support of Global Refugee Forum.
Water is a fundamental human right but water scarcity around the world is causing severe problems and human suffering that are likely to worsen in the future, warns Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas is responding to a devastating landslide in Mocoa, south-west Colombia, which has left at least 290 people dead, over 300 still missing and 200 injured, in the worst disaster of its kind to hit the country since the 1980s. Caritas Colombia said, “At dawn on Saturday 1 April the Mocoa, Sangoyaco and Mulata rivers ...
Caritas calls on the European Union to ensure truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition for the victims of the Colombian conflict.
The Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM) aims to create a training programme for community leaders and pastoral workers in the Amazon region, who have an extensive track record in protection and may thus respond to the challenges highlighted by the Pope.
Latin America is the continent with the most inequality in the world, where the division between the rich and poor is massive. Caritas is working on all fronts to help combat the terrible scandal of poverty in which millions of people live.
The conflict between the Colombian government and armed Marxist guerrillas that began in the mid 1960s has left over 4.2 million people as refugees in their own country. Caritas Colombia has launched a new report on human rights in the country. Peace talk between the Colombian government and the guerrilla movement FARC are now taking ...