Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Seasons of Grace

Home
Catholic
“LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR” – THE CARITAS WAY?

“LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR” – THE CARITAS WAY?

Last updated on: September 8, 2016 at 7:52 pm by Kathy Schiffer

“LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR” – THE CARITAS WAY? 2016-09-08T19:52:04-05:00 Kathy Schiffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What does it mean to truly love your neighbor? Can you better show love by:

(a) Telling your neighbor what he wants to hear, or

(b) Telling him the truth, even if it’s going to cause some discomfort?

Is it truly loving to:

(a) Give him whatever he wants, or

(b) Give him only those things which will truly help him in his development– physically, politically, emotionally, and spiritually?

These questions have been front-and-center in the “He Said, She Said” controversy that’s reached its head this month at Caritas Internationalis, as the Vatican has stepped up to take a more active role in determining the focus and dissemination of Catholic aid.

WHAT IS CARITAS?

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of some 165 Catholic aid organizations around the world. Their mission is to build a better world, especially serving the poor and the oppressed. Catholic Relief Services is the United States’ member organization; in Canada, Caritas has the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP).

CATHOLIC IDENTITY: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

With its focus on charitable giving and its partnership relationships with non-Catholic groups and governments worldwide, Caritas has not focused on evangelization as a part of its mission to the world. In fact, in its ardor for strengthening relationships with different groups, it would appear that Caritas has more than once ignored Church teaching on critical issues.

For example, since 2009, the Canadian organization (CCODP) has evoked criticism from pro-life groups for its support of organizations which advocate the legalization of abortion, distribute contraceptives, and endorse homosexual policies.

When complaints reached the desk of Caritas’ Secretary-General Lesley-Anne Knight, she defended the CCODP—adding in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter that support from Western governments could be jeopardized “if they become too explicitly Catholic.” In Knight’s view, governments such as the British or Swedish could withdraw needed support for the organization’s poverty programs if Caritas were perceived as being “too Catholic.”

VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE – FEBRUARY 2011

The controversy reached its climax early this year when the Vatican Secretary of State and the Pontifical Council Cor Unum determined that they would not renew Secretary-General Lesley-Anne Knight’s “nihil obstat,” or approval. Without this endorsement, Knight could not run for a second four-year term as leader of the aid organization.

Demonstrating the perspective which had brought her downfall, Knight—in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter—responded that the Holy See was “out of touch” with Caritas, criticizing the Vatican’s plan to buff up the aid organization’s Catholic identity, including evangelization among its goals. Knight further alleged that the flow of information had been one-way, from the Vatican to Caritas, and that there had been little interest on the part of the Vatican in understanding Caritas’ experience-based priorities and perspectives.

Knight added that the Vatican works too slowly to understand the high-speed environment in which Caritas operates world-wide.

Some media (such as the National Catholic Reporter and U.S. Catholic) jumped up to defend Knight. Brian Cones, writing in U.S. Catholic, alleged that the Vatican is uncomfortable with lay women in positions of real authority and influence in the Church. (Mr. Cones forgets the leadership role played by Mary Ann Glendon as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See or, more recently, the appointment of Sr. Sara Butler, professor of theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary, and Sr. Mary Lou Wirtz, president of the International Union of Superiors General, as consultants to the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.) Cones then dragged out the timeworn argument, which is addressed and officially put to rest in Ordinatio Sacerdotis (Blessed John Paul II, May 22, 1994), that women should be ordained to the priesthood.

Within a week, the secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, responded to Knight’s assertions—telling Catholic News Agency that major reforms desired by the Vatican mandated a change in leadership at the international coalition of relief agencies. With the goal of revision of Caritas statutes and internal reform, the Vatican would seek new leadership with whom they could hope to reach agreement on policy changes.

WHY IS CHANGE NECESSARY? AND WHAT, EXACTLY, DOES THE VATICAN WANT?

At the top of the list, the Vatican wants to ensure that Caritas—as a highly visible entity with strong ties to the Catholic Church—speaks with the mind of the Church. Catholic News Service (May 6) quoted one Vatican official:

Caritas Internationalis, as a public entity of the Church, is authorized to speak and act for the Church in the international forum. Because of that right and duty, it needs to speak the Church’s language and make sure that its activities and its agreements with non-Catholic agencies reflect what the Church teaches.

Changes to the organization’s charter are being proposed, and the Vatican has signaled it would like more direct oversight of Caritas’ operations. And the new draft of Caritas’ statutes strengthens the communication between Caritas and the Vatican, ensuring Rome’s concurrence with any documents and position papers which may be released.

With the move toward closer collaboration, the Vatican sought to bring in new leadership who would not balk at the Vatican’s stronger supervisory role.

IS CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE LIKELY, AS CARITAS MOVES FORWARD?

Addressing Caritas’ 60th annual conference in Rome last week, Pope Benedict XVI thanked the member organizations for their service. He warned, at the same time, that unless we recognize that human beings were created by God and are called to eternal life, “we risk falling prey to harmful ideologies” which do not advance the good of the whole human person. Integral development, the Pope reminded, includes the person’s spirituality and eventual salvation.

While a positive relationship between the charitable confederation and the Vatican is to be hoped for, two recent developments seem cause for concern:

First, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa was reelected on May 24 to a second four-year term as President of Caritas by a 75% majority of member organizations. From the beginning, Cardinal Rodriguez had opposed the Vatican’s efforts to gain control over Caritas. He lobbied for the continuance of Lesley-Anne Knight and has said that he “deeply regrets the decision of the Holy See.”
Second, 56-year-old Michel Roy, director of international advocacy for Secours Catholique, the French Catholic charity, was elected to the post of Secretary-General replacing Lesley-Anne Knight. Roy’s election was confirmed on May 26 at Caritas Internationalis’ general assembly.

Roy assumed office this week and outlined four priorities for his administration:

Reinforcement of the humanitarian response of Caritas member organizations to victims of man-made or natural disasters.
Promotion and coordination of the organization’s integral human development work.
Advocacy for a better and more just world; and
Improving coordination, access, and communication among Caritas’ member organizations.

All of this is well and good; but needed on that list is the Vatican’s stated priority of increased “Catholic Identity” for the organization. Perhaps he just forgot to mention it? One hopes that the organization under Roy will not simply continue in the direction charted by his predecessor—emphasizing charity, but stopping short of fully embracing the great wealth of Catholic social teaching, including teachings on sexuality and the dignity of life.

Previous Post

May 26, 2011

Help Needed! Flood Closes Pregnancy Center

Next Post

May 31, 2011 A Compendium of Bad Thinking: The Hedonism of Henry Sidgwick

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #Synod14 Abortion Abstinence Abuse Addiction Adoption Advent Adventure Advertising Aging Agnosticism All Saints Day All Souls Day Amish Anathema Angels Anglican Animals Annulment Annunciation Apocalypse Apologetics Apostles Apostleship of the Sea Apparitions Archangels Archbishop Cordileone Archbishop Dolan Archbishop Vigneron Archeology Architecture Art Art Buchwald Ash Wednesday Assisted Suicide Astronauts Atheism Athletes Babies Baptism Beatification Beauty Bible Biochemistry Bioethics Birds Bishop Lori Bishops Blasphemy Books Canon Law Canonization Capital Punishment Cardinal Burke Cardinal Dolan Cardinal George Caritas Catechesis Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic Catholic Education Catholic Higher Education Catholic Social Teaching Celibacy Cemeteries Character Charity Chastity Cheapskate Christian Unity Christmas Churches Civil Rights Cloning Comedy Communion of Saints Community Kitchens Confession Confirmation Conscience Consequences Consistory Constitution Contraception Conversion Cooking Councils of the Church Creativity Criminal Justice Cristero War Crucifixion Crystal Cathedral Culture Death Death and Dying Death Penalty Department of Health and Human Services Diaconate Dictatorship of Relativism Dignity Disability Discrimination Dissidence Divorce Doctors of the Church Early Church Fathers Easter Economics Ecumenism Education Encyclicals Environmentalism Episcopal Church Eucharist Euthanasia Evangelism Evangelists Evangelization Evolution Excuses Facebook Faith Families Family Fashion Fasting Fatherhood Federal Government Feminism Fiction Film First Amendment First Communion For Greater Glory Forgiveness Free Speech Friends Friendship Gender Discrimination Germany Gnosticism Good Friday Government Grace Greed Gregorian Calendar Happiness Health Heaven Heresy History Holidays Holiness Hollywood Holy Land Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Year Home Sweet Home Homosexuality Hope Humanism Humility Humor Imagination Immaculate Conception Immigration Impulsivity In Vitro Fertilization Incarnation Indulgences Infallibility Internet Islam Italy Jerusalem Jesus Judaism Justice Kathleen Sebelius Labor Movement LCWR Lent Life Literature Liturgy Lourdes Love Magi Marketing Marriage Martyrdom Martyrs Mary Mass Media Medical Ethics Mexico Michigan Miracles Missionaries Modernism Modesty Monks Monothelitism Motherhood Movies Mushrooms Music Muslim Mystery Mysticism Mythology Nativity Natural Law Nature New Evangelization New Media New Year New Year's Resolutions Nostalgia Obscenity Occult Old Testament Origen Orthodox Orvieto Pallium Papacy Parenting Patience Patriarch Bartholomew Patriotism Peace Peace and Justice Penitence Pentecost People Persecution Philosophy Poetry Political activism Political Correctness Politics Polls Pop Culture Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Pope St. Pius X Pope Urban VII Population Prayer Preaching Prejudice Pride Priesthood Pro-Life Protestantism Psychology Purgatory Queenship of Mary Racism Rape Real Presence Reconciliation Reformation Relics Religious Religious Liberty Reliquary Renewal Reproductive Technology Resurrection Rights Romance Rome Royalty Sacraments Sacred Heart Saints Satanism Science Science Fiction Scripture Seal of Confession Secularism Seniors September 11 Seventy Times Seven Sexuality Sharks Sin Smoking Social Communications Social Justice Social Networking Social Sciences Space Exploration Spirituality Sports St. Luke St. Patrick's Day St. Paul St. Peter St. Teresa of Avila Stations of the Cross Steve Jobs Superstition Supreme Court Symbolism Synod Technology Teen Rebellion Television Terrorism Thankfulness Thanksgiving Theology Think This, Not That Tobit Toilets Toys Tradition Traditions Transplants Travel Trinity Twitter U.S. Air Force Uncategorized United Nations USCCB Valentine Vatican Vatican Archives Vatican Blogfest Virtue Vocations Where We Pray White Heart Women World Day of Social Communications World Meeting of Families World News World Youth Day Worship Writing Year of Consecrated Life Year of Faith Year of Mercy Youth

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the rider of the Red Horse in Revelation given?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A large sword A bow A balance scale A crown