There are many things still unclear about why Lesley-Anne Knight, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, has been unexpectedly prevented from applying for a second term of office. It could be that the Vatican Curia is planning some radical structural changes and Knight is seen as an obstacle.
According to Caritas, its leadership “deeply regrets the decision of the Holy See.” The president of Caritas, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez de Maradiaga of Honduras, voiced his “incomprehension” at the decision. The organization’s leadership bureau—Cardinal Rodríguez, Knight, the organization’s treasurer and seven regional presidents—met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone on Feb. 5, but they were unable to change the position of the Holy See on Knight’s reappointment.
On Feb. 15, Cardinal Bertone wrote to the bishops’ conferences of the world to explain that the Vatican was not going to renew Knight’s mandate after the general assembly of Caritas in May. In the three-page letter, Cardinal Bertone said Caritas needed a stronger Catholic identity. The next four years, he explained, would focus on “harmonizing the theological dimension of Caritas Internationalis…with its role as an organization operating on the international stage.” This would require, he said, greater cooperation with other ecclesial bodies and with Vatican dicasteries that have an “interest” in Caritas activities. Caritas’s advocacy work, he explained, needs to be better coordinated “in strict cooperation with the Holy See, which is specifically competent in this regard.” Read more: America Magazine – Special Report
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