Caritas Australia chief executive Kirsten Sayers considers Pope Leo XIV to be uniquely placed to impart the message of one of the world’s largest aid agencies: justice, dignity and hope for all. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
“He is the Pope for peace,” Ms Sayers said. “He is a former director of Caritas Peru, so he’s one of ours.
“He’s using his leadership to build coalitions for peace, to inspire Catholics around the world to be peace-builders, peacemakers, which is the call for all of us. Caritas Internationalis – of which Caritas Australia is part – is part of the Catholic Church’s social justice, aid and development. So for us, it’s really inspiring to have peacemaking front and centre.’
Caritas Internationalis, as a confederation of national Catholic relief agencies with a tiny head office in Rome, is second only to the International Committee of the Red Cross in its global reach and impact.
And right now, it has its work cut out for it as wars, famines and natural disasters keep coming, with no end in sight.
“Hope, justice, dignity, peacemaking – that’s what we at Caritas strive for before, during and after crisis or conflict,” Ms Sayers said. “We are that bridge, a conduit into communities.”
Caritas Australia last month held an interfaith service on World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19 each year to honour humanitarian workers and promote awareness of humanitarian issues.
Ms Sayers said the service was to acknowledge their lost colleagues, and those of other aid agencies.
“To hold that service with [Australian] Cardinal Mykola Bychok speaking, and to have representatives of other faiths there, I think was a very clear message that we’re able to signal that in Australia, too, we’re working for peace on earth, social cohesion.”
The role of Caritas Australia is one of connection, Ms Sayers said, forging partnerships, amplifying voices and remaining faithful to its mission as an agency of the Church.
“Each and every one of us has a role to play,” Ms Sayers said.
“There’s amplification of voices, there’s forging partnerships, there’s arms and legs on the ground, there’s donors … it’s bringing it all together, being that bridge of hope, dignity and justice to the communities we serve in Australia and overseas.”
FULL STORY
Caritas’ mission strengthened by Pope’s message of peace (Melbourne Catholic)
