Caritas is a Latin word for charity or love. Caritas means the Christian love for humankind, expressed through the practical service of those in need. Inspired by the Gospel, Caritas is the helping hand of the universal Church, reaching out to the poor, the vulnerable and the excluded, regardless of race or religion, to build a world based on justice and fraternal love. It gives witness to the most profound nature of the Church in the ministry of charity. As a faith-based organisation, it has a specific mission to attend to the poorest and the neediest, assisting in humanitarian emergencies and helping to spread charity and justice in the world in light of the Gospel and of the teaching of the Catholic Church (CI Statutes, art.1.3).
Since the founding of the first Caritas in Germany in 1897, Caritas organisations have a rich history of listening respectfully to the suffering of the poor and giving them the tools to transform their own lives. The profound moral and spiritual principles of dignity, justice, solidarity and stewardship still guide Caritas today.
