Anokye is New President of Caritas Africa and Second Vice-President of CI
Archbishop Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye of Kumasi, Ghana has been elected President of Caritas Africa (CA). His election took place at a meeting of CA that preceded the Caritas Internationalis’ 20th General Assembly, recently, in Rome Italy. He has also been elected Second Vice-President of Caritas Internationalis (CI) during the said Assembly.
Archbishop Anokye who is the Second Vice-President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Chairman of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission of SECAM shared his vision of a Church for the poor in Africa. (see interview attached). The Assembly ended with the adoption of a vision of “One Human Family, Caring for Creation”.
About 400 people from more than 160 national Caritas Organisations also elected a new president, treasurer and ratified the nomination of the Secretary General.
The Newly-elected President of Caritas Internationalis is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, Philippines. Michel Roy was reconfirmed as Secretary General of the Caritas Confederation and a new board was appointed. Alexander Bodmann of Austria was elected as new treasurer. South Sudan became the 165th national member organisation of the Caritas Confederation.
Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered for standing with the poor in El Salvador, was adopted as a Patron of Caritas Internationalis.
With specific reference to the SDGs, the final message adopted by the General Assembly states that “no target should be considered as met unless achieved for all income and social groups; this fundamental, person-centred strategy must be central”.
The message urges governments to look beyond their own borders and to recognise the moral imperative that is inherent in care for creation. The Caritas delegates also drew attention to the plight of Christians who suffer from religious persecution in Syria and Iraq and of migrants and refugees all over the world: “We urge governments to build safe havens and humanitarian corridors, rather than fences, walls or programmes of interdiction at sea.”
In a Mass celebrated for the opening of the General Assembly, Pope Francis spoke of the responsibility of Caritas which is, among other issues, to look after the planet and to feed the hungry.
Speaking of Caritas’ global campaign to end hunger, the Pope said during his homily, “We must do what we can so that everyone has something to eat, but we must also remind the powerful of the Earth that God will call them to judgment one day and there it will be revealed if they really tried to provide food for Him in every person (cf. Matt.25: 35) and if they did what they could to preserve the environment so that it could produce this food.”
The Pope spoke of Caritas’ campaign “One Human Family, Food for All” and encouraged people to “set the table for all” and said “Caritas sets many tables for the hungry”.
Speaking of the mission of the people who works for Caritas organisations, the Holy Father said, “Whoever lives the mission of Caritas is not simply a charitable worker, but is a true witness of Christ. He is a person who seeks Christ and allows Christ to seek him; people who love with the spirit of Christ, a spirit of gratuitousness and gift. All of our strategies and plans remain empty unless we carry this love in us.”
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Issued by Ben Assorow
Director of Communications, SECAM
With additional information from CI Website.
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Caritas Internationalis is the global confederation of 165 Catholic Organisations working on behalf of the poor. It is the arm through which the Church delivers its moral mission to help the most vulnerable and excluded people, whatever their religion or race.
Archbishop Anokye who is the Second Vice-President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Chairman of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission of SECAM shared his vision of a Church for the poor in Africa. (see interview attached). The Assembly ended with the adoption of a vision of “One Human Family, Caring for Creation”.
About 400 people from more than 160 national Caritas Organisations also elected a new president, treasurer and ratified the nomination of the Secretary General.
The Newly-elected President of Caritas Internationalis is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, Philippines. Michel Roy was reconfirmed as Secretary General of the Caritas Confederation and a new board was appointed. Alexander Bodmann of Austria was elected as new treasurer. South Sudan became the 165th national member organisation of the Caritas Confederation.
Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered for standing with the poor in El Salvador, was adopted as a Patron of Caritas Internationalis.
With specific reference to the SDGs, the final message adopted by the General Assembly states that “no target should be considered as met unless achieved for all income and social groups; this fundamental, person-centred strategy must be central”.
The message urges governments to look beyond their own borders and to recognise the moral imperative that is inherent in care for creation. The Caritas delegates also drew attention to the plight of Christians who suffer from religious persecution in Syria and Iraq and of migrants and refugees all over the world: “We urge governments to build safe havens and humanitarian corridors, rather than fences, walls or programmes of interdiction at sea.”
In a Mass celebrated for the opening of the General Assembly, Pope Francis spoke of the responsibility of Caritas which is, among other issues, to look after the planet and to feed the hungry.
Speaking of Caritas’ global campaign to end hunger, the Pope said during his homily, “We must do what we can so that everyone has something to eat, but we must also remind the powerful of the Earth that God will call them to judgment one day and there it will be revealed if they really tried to provide food for Him in every person (cf. Matt.25: 35) and if they did what they could to preserve the environment so that it could produce this food.”
The Pope spoke of Caritas’ campaign “One Human Family, Food for All” and encouraged people to “set the table for all” and said “Caritas sets many tables for the hungry”.
Speaking of the mission of the people who works for Caritas organisations, the Holy Father said, “Whoever lives the mission of Caritas is not simply a charitable worker, but is a true witness of Christ. He is a person who seeks Christ and allows Christ to seek him; people who love with the spirit of Christ, a spirit of gratuitousness and gift. All of our strategies and plans remain empty unless we carry this love in us.”
---------------------------------------------
Issued by Ben Assorow
Director of Communications, SECAM
With additional information from CI Website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caritas Internationalis is the global confederation of 165 Catholic Organisations working on behalf of the poor. It is the arm through which the Church delivers its moral mission to help the most vulnerable and excluded people, whatever their religion or race.
