Vatican Issues New Guidelines For Caritas Internationalis

Pope Benedict XVI arrives for his weekly general audience on on May 2, 2012 in St.Peter square at the Vatican AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI

By Alessandro Speciale
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Under new rules announced on Wednesday (May 2), the Vatican will more closely oversee the operations of Caritas Internationalis, a global confederation of 162 national Catholic charities. The decision comes after the Vatican last year vetoed the re-election of the organization's then-secretary general, Lesley-Anne Knight, complaining of a lack of coordination with Vatican officials.

The new rules issued by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will require all Caritas Internationalis officials make a formal promise of fidelity to church teachings and leaders.

The organization is now under the supervision of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", which oversees the Catholic Church's charitable activities, while the pope is given the right to appoint three of its board members. Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, Mich., has been chosen as one of the Vatican-appointed board members.

From now on, all Caritas Internationalis statements -- particularly "any text with doctrinal or moral content or orientations" -- and activities will have to be authorized in advance by the Vatican, except in case of "grave humanitarian emergencies."

"Cor Unum" will also appoint an ecclesiastical assistant tasked with promoting the "Catholic identity" of Caritas Internationalis, and the Vatican's Secretariat of State will closely supervise the confederation's contacts with foreign governments.

The new rules will not directly affect Catholic Relief Services, the official aid agency of the U.S. Catholic bishops. But Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the pontifical council, explained in L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's semiofficial newspaper, that bishops could be "inspired" by the new rules to revise the statutes of national Catholic charities.

The Vatican move is part of a more general drive to promote Catholic identity in Catholic aid operations at all levels. Critics have complained that Catholic charities operate often like secular nongovernmental organizations and partner with groups that sometimes don't share Catholic values, including the church's opposition to birth control.

In a message addressed to the confederation's general assembly last May, Pope Benedict XVI warned that without an explicit reference to God, aid work risked "falling prey to harmful ideologies." He also warned that, as Caritas Internationalis shared the church's mission, the Holy See was entitled to exercise oversight of its operations.

According to Caritas Internationalis secretary general, Michel Roy, the new rules should be seen as a step to "integrate" the organization's operations within the Holy See and will reinforce Catholic advocacy on behalf of the poor, "because we will be able to speak in the name of the Church."

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Comments

[Clevelandinwi]

05:26 AM on 05/07/2012

All that yada-yada means is that the popester and his henchMEN want their cut.

[Asmondius]

01:47 PM on 05/07/2012

They receive no funds from these organizations.

[Clevelandinwi]

08:02 AM on 05/08/2012

hUh?

[txman28]

03:44 AM on 05/07/2012

Before anyone contributes another dime, they should invest a few hours in the 2011 book "Render Unto Rome". It is a very honest review of the lack of audit mechanisms in place to prevent skimming of untold millions and demonstrates that there are hands in the cookie jar as to where some of the funds cannot be accounted for.
It also sheds some light in that some valid questions are being raised as to who actually own's some types of parish assets.

[Gerard St Laurent]

04:17 PM on 05/06/2012

Send me your money, I'll share some with the poor, after I grab most of it.

[ManuOB1]

07:38 PM on 05/05/2012

Careful. A mortally wounded bull is especially dangerous to those closest to it.

[wonderinbear]

12:23 PM on 05/06/2012

Mortally wounded how so, the Christians have had it much worse and still survive.

[Timaree Cheney]

11:05 AM on 05/05/2012

OMG, does this pope have to be such aa dictator? When will conservatism end? It hurts more people than helps.

[wonderinbear]

12:22 PM on 05/06/2012

Religious views are not up to popular vote, Catholics have certain teachings for an organization to call itself Catholic and not follow the teachings is fraud. They simply want those who work for the Church to follow the rules, all religions do this.

[HopeWFaith]

04:57 AM on 05/05/2012

After all the stink about gays and women's rights from this Vatican group, I'll not be donating one shiny penny to this church or any of it's organizations. I can help my brothers and sisters in Christ without sending a dime to the likes of these anti-people jerks. They don't deserve the time of day from me. And they won't be getting it.

[wonderinbear]

12:25 PM on 05/06/2012

I doubt they will notice any change in your charitable habits.

[Asmondius]

11:50 PM on 05/06/2012

They don't care for blood money anyway - something having to do with Judas....

[The 4th Degree]

07:26 PM on 05/04/2012

It must have no less than 3tsp of salsa.

[jkevinm80]

08:53 AM on 05/04/2012

Hmm, another Vatican money grab. Anyone who continues to give money to the church charities under this regime is wasting their money.

[Asmondius]

10:47 AM on 05/04/2012

You must have a page from the article that none of the rest of us possess - there is absolutely nothing mentioned concerning money.

[charlesrfd2003]

08:27 AM on 05/05/2012

Read carefully. The key is who they partner. The partner must share Catholic values like opposition to birth control. Basically the Vatican has politicized charity.

[cminca]

08:13 AM on 05/04/2012

To the Catholics who are reading this--understand that charity is the people, NOT the organization.

You don't need to report to the Vatican in order to help others.

[Asmondius]

10:48 AM on 05/04/2012

If you help others in the name of Christ, it is indeed useful to follow His teachings.

[Beckinspate]

03:47 PM on 05/04/2012

Matthew 25.34-46 says nothing about dogma or the bible or the Pope, it says care for the poor in action, not teach or argue or enforce.

[Montana 123]

07:05 PM on 05/04/2012

According to who? Each church interrupts the bible differently.

[Clevelandinwi]

07:03 AM on 05/04/2012

Not that different from the kochs - control the MONEY, control the people.

[Asmondius]

10:49 AM on 05/04/2012

Explain how his involves money - this is a doctrinal issue.

[charlesrfd2003]

08:28 AM on 05/05/2012

Remember the money goes through the Vatican bank.

[YeOldeSnark]

01:18 AM on 05/04/2012

the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will require all Caritas Internationalis officials make a formal promise of fidelity to church teachings and leaders.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The aging gauleiter from Bavaria is looking more and more like Adolph Hitler and the Catholic Church is quickly becoming the resurrected Nazi Party.

[chrysostomos]

12:41 PM on 05/04/2012

The Reichskonkordat signed by von Papen and Pacelli is still in force today.

[chrysostomos]

12:43 PM on 05/04/2012

Not sure why I never fanned you as I've found your comments to be full of witty insight. Well F&F.

[YeOldeSnark]

04:00 PM on 05/04/2012

Thank you.

[YeOldeSnark]

04:06 PM on 05/04/2012

The popish mythologies of the past 2000 years are being traded in for a new creation: Gone is the bishop of Rome and in with the new office of Reichspontiff. What won't change is, like the popes of old, he'll draw a loyal, incurious, and unquestioning clique of followers. We see this now in the episcopal dragoons he's drawn into his service.

Just as Catholics with a brain and a little intelligence rush out to other faiths like cattle through the corral gates.

[been2there]

12:20 AM on 05/04/2012

In the US, the rule is this--if you use public money, you play by public rules.

[Asmondius]

10:51 AM on 05/04/2012

Sorry, your thought appears no where in the Constitution.

[SylvreWolfe]

12:59 AM on 05/05/2012

Neither does god.

[Mandalor te Siit]

05:45 PM on 05/03/2012

That's one small hat. What happened to the big one he's so famous for?

[Asmondius]

11:12 AM on 05/04/2012

It's not a 'hat', it is a skull cap called a 'zucchetto' which is part of the Pope's everyday wear. It is thought to have originated many centuries ago when men entering the priesthood had a section of hair shaved from the top of their skull to signify fidelity to their vows. The cap kept the bald spot warm in intemperate weather.

The other item you are referring to is a mitre, which as part of the Pope's liturgical vestment is used only for religious services.

[AntithiChrist]

02:24 PM on 05/05/2012

Hat, zucchetto, beanie cap, mitre, or dressed for Halloween as a walking, talking post-hole digger. You decide.

[dmeekthemimi]

05:45 PM on 05/03/2012

Catholic Charities needs to open up a couple of million or[hanages for all those kids they keep telling us that we need tpo have and can't afford to feed!! They are closing Catholic schools by the hundreds bacause thewy can't get enough people to poay the thousands a semester to go to them. Now they want to make sure they do everything in their power to make sure the poor will always be with us!!

[oldpreacherman]

06:05 PM on 05/03/2012

Dmeek. As you know the poor will always be with us. Trying to destroy those who feed them is counter productive.

[Asmondius]

12:26 PM on 05/04/2012

You had children and placed them in orphanages?

And you expect Catholics to clean up after you?

[springsm]

05:44 PM on 05/03/2012

Oh oh....The Pope sees that he is losing his sheep. Time to tighten the screw bolts. Can't lose power and control over these sheep.

[chrysostomos]

10:18 PM on 05/03/2012

or money- gotta keep a close guard on those purse strings.

[Oceanicing]

12:20 AM on 05/04/2012

That's what I'm getting from it - it's "charity" with strings attached.