By CISA
ABUJA, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 (CISA)- “Caritas is a Church-run humanitarian organization that is accountable to the Church and report in full to the Church,” the President of Caritas Africa has said denouncing perceptions of Caritas being a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that is collecting and distributing money.
“Caritas is Church; Caritas acts on behalf of the Church, as part of the Church, under the guidance of the Church and under the guidance of the Bishops, who are the fathers of charity, because they preside over charity in their respective and particular Churches,” said Monsignor Pierre Cibambo.
He was speaking during the just concluded Caritas Africa Regional Commission meeting, which was hosted by Caritas Nigeria from September 19 to 22, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria.
“This has to be understood very well, and it is also part of my mission to ensure that this is understood very well, that we are not operating as an NGO, we are operating as a Church,” the Caritas President elected in May said.
According to him, Caritas workers need to be professional, competent, and ready to serve with the formation of the heart since Caritas exists to serve, accompany, defend and be the voice of the voiceless in the communities.
With 22 years of experience, while serving at Caritas Internationalis, Cibambo has called on Caritas departments at all levels to have a clear vision and realisation of the prophetic mission of the church.
As he settles into his new role, he disclosed that his approach will be to ensure that Caritas representatives in Africa support the advancement of holistic human development in their particular nations and also supervise the operations of the regional secretariat, which is there to coordinate the work of national members in the field of humanitarian response, integral human development and advocacy.
