Currently on a visit to Jordan, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Mr. Aloysius John was welcomed by Caritas Jordan Director Wael Suleiman on Tuesday, August 24.
During the visit, Mr. John held a meeting via video conferencing technology with Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa in his capacity as president of Caritas in the Holy Land, namely Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus. He also visited the Apostolic Nunciature and met with Chargé d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli. Later he visited the Catholic Center for Studies and Media CCSM) and held talks with CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader.
Later, Mr. Aloysius John toured several Caritas Jordan centers and met with the administrative teams and a number of the work teams. He was briefed on the services provided by the social arm of the Catholic Church, and he praised the role played by Caritas Jordan regarding providing services to Jordanian citizens or Iraqi and Syrian refugees as well as during the 1967 war. He also took pride in visiting the Kingdom, and getting apprised of application of papal encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” as experienced by Caritas Jordan reality.
Mr. John, accompanied by his wife, spent two days visiting holy and architectural sites in Jordan where he visited the Baptism Site, Mount Nebo, and Petra among other sites.
It is worthy to note that Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of over 160 members who are working at the grassroots in almost every country of the world. When a crisis hits, Caritas is already on the ground. The diverse members give us our strength, namely from small groups of volunteers to some of the biggest global charities. Inspired by Catholic faith, Caritas is the helping hand of the Church – reaching out to the poor, vulnerable and excluded, regardless of race or religion, to build a world based on justice and fraternal love.
Caritas Internationalis has its headquarters in Rome – coordinating emergency operations, formulating development policy and advocating for a better world for everyone. All national Caritas organisations are members of their own regional Caritas networks and the international confederation.
From the founding of the first Caritas in Germany in 1897, to the setting up of Caritas Internationalis in 1951, until today, Caritas has a rich history of listening respectfully to the suffering of the poor and giving them the tools to transform their own lives. The deep moral and spiritual principles of dignity, justice, solidarity and stewardship still guide Caritas today.
By: Munir Bayouk
Source: en.abouna.org
