Pope Leo XIV offered encouragement to Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s confederation of relief and development agencies, during a brief address to the members of its representative council.
“From its foundation, Caritas Internationalis has embodied the Church’s proclamation that ‘Christ’s preference is for the poor, the least, the abandoned and discarded,’” said Pope Leo, citing a 2023 message of Pope Francis. “Indeed, this vision can be seen in the Eucharist itself, where the Lord ‘having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end’” (Jn. 13:1).
“The love we receive from Christ is never a private treasure but always a mission entrusted to our hands,” Pope Leo continued. “Love sends us forth; love makes us servants; love opens our eyes to the wounds of others.”