"The nature of Caritas lies in service."
On Thursday (May 11) His Holiness Pope Francis opened the 22nd General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis in Vatican City with a private audience, reminding over 300 representatives from around the world that the poor should be at the centre of all its charitable services and activities.
In the afternoon, His Eminence Cardinal Antonio Tagle reflected on the role of Caritas and shared his gratitude for the immense work carried out by the Confederation in reaching out to the peripheries to serve those who are most vulnerable in our world. He said that the General Assembly is not just an event but rather the very people who make up the diverse yet unified Caritas family.
Following the presentation of Caritas leaders and members from all seven regions of the Confederation and the Women and Youth delegations, the process and formulation of the new Statutes were briefly presented and explained.
Day 1 of the 22nd General Assembly concluded with the Holy Mass celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, His Eminence Cardinal Czerny said that love is demanding but it is the way that one can genuinely know God, others and even our very selves: “Love is what makes us ‘to be’. When we embrace God’s love and love as God loves and remain in God’s love, we understand the meaning of our own lives.”
