Papal charity Caritas hosted a lunch in Rome with migrants and refugees on Tuesday. Caritas Rome hosts the city’s main soup kitchen and caters for tens of thousands of poor people. In hosting Tuesday’s lunch, Caritas hoped to foster a “culture of encounter” as this week is set aside as Caritas’s Global Action Week. It Read more
Representatives from Caritas agencies in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga attended a forum in Cairns last week. Also present were representatives from countries not yet members of the Caritas network, reflecting the forum theme of ‘Our Family, Our Future’ and strengthening ties with French- and English-speaking peers. Forum delegates were Read more
South Asia’s Catholic Church is responding to the Roghingya crisis with humanitarian assistance and advocacy. Hundreds of thousands of members of the Muslim minority have fled principally Buddhist Myanmar, where the military is conducting a “clearance operation.” The head of the Catholic Church in Myanmar, Archbishop of Yangon Cardinal Charles Bo, said he expects more Read more
Over six million people in Somalia are likely to starve to death this year. That is nearly half of Somalia’s population in urgent need of humanitarian help. In addition, about 275,000 malnourished children are at risk of starvation, according to aid and development agencies, says Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti. He says Caritas Somalia is Read more
Inter-religious dialogue, aid for migrants and refugees and the protection of minority Christian communities are included in a formal agreement between the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Community of Sant’Egidio. The Community, which is a Catholic charity, has been helping the poor in many countries since the 1970s. The accord with the French ministry Read more
Migrants are paying a heavy price in Europe because of an agreement made a year ago between the European Union (EU) and Turkey, says Caritas The agreement aimed to stem the flow of migrants and refugees seeking protection in Europe. Caritas says the agreement has left thousands of vulnerable people stranded in degrading conditions in Read more
Syria is a “workshop for cruelty” says Pope Francis. Speaking to Caritas Internationalis, Francis said “I believe the greatest illness of today is cardiac sclerosis,”. He was implying a kind of hardening of the heart that renders a person unable to feel compassion or be moved by another’s suffering. He said Syria is an example Read more
Caritas Bangladesh is launching a series of initiatives to help victims of the devastating floods in Bangladesh. The Catholic charity’s volunteers distributed 4,000 Bangladeshi taka (about 46 euros) and cleaning kit for each person, for at least 1,650 families affected by the emergency. Efforts are concentrated in two districts in the north of the country. Read more
Mosul refugees are receiving emergency aid from Caritas. Up to 1.5 million people are expected to need immediate help, while about 13 million are likely to be displaced by the end of this year as the Mosul crisis develops. The military offensive to root out ISIS militants from Mosul and surrounding villages will be a Read more
Caritas representatives appearing before Parliament’s Commerce Committee on Thursday argued against proposed changes to Easter Sunday trading. A proposed law change – the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill – would let local councils pass bylaws allowing shops in their area to open on Easter Sunday. Caritas’s Lisa Beech said Easter Sunday trading would affect community Read more