Caritas Internationalis

Caritas Internationalis, confederation of Roman Catholic charitable organizations and international groups dedicated to promoting peace, economic justice, and human welfare. In the early 21st century its membership included more than 160 organizations active in more than 200 countries. Headquarters are in Vatican City.

Originally known as Caritas, the organization was founded in Germany in 1897 by a young Roman Catholic priest, Lorenz Werthmann, to provide social welfare services to the poor and disadvantaged. Similar groups soon formed in other countries. International coordination efforts led in 1924 to the creation of a regular conference of national Roman Catholic social welfare organizations, which was given the name Caritas Catholica in 1928. In 1947 Caritas Catholica became the official relief organization of the Vatican, and in 1954 it was renamed Caritas Internationalis to reflect its global mission.

The work of Caritas Internationalis is inspired by the principles of Catholic social teaching, which were developed in the 19th century by Pope Leo XIII (reigned 1878–1903) in response to the social and economic changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Its activities are focused on six main areas:

• peace and reconciliation, with an emphasis on interreligious understanding
• emergencies, including natural and human-made disasters
• economic justice
• climate change and its impact on the poor
• HIV and AIDS
• the rights of women and immigrants

Its membership includes national charitable organizations that work within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church and international charities and other organizations that have been recognized by the Vatican as dedicated to human advancement and development. Among those organizations that have collaborated with Caritas is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Caritas Internationalis is headed by a president, who is elected by a general assembly that convenes once every four years in Vatican City. The general assembly also elects a secretary general, a treasurer, an executive committee, and the presidents of each of the organization’s seven administrative regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

Among those who have served as president of Caritas Internationalis is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila. After being reelected to another four-year term in 2019, he and the organization’s entire leadership team were removed by Pope Francis in 2022, reportedly because of poor staff morale. In 2023 Archbishop (and, later, Cardinal) Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo was elected president.