Under the motto “Synodal, supportive and fraternal: together with the poor we renew hope”, representatives of the 22 Caritas of the Region are meeting in Puerto Rico, between May 29 and June 4, to plan the lines of action that will guide their journey for the next four years.

The activity takes place in the “House of Retiro Cursillos de la Cristiandad” and has the participation of about 120 members of the Caritas of Latin America and also the teams of Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Española, CAFFOD, CRS and CELAM.

At the inauguration of the Congress, the Archbishop of Puerto Rico, Roberto González, noted that: “The energetic exercise of charity carried out by Cáritas allows for work of great impact in the most vulnerable communities, it is one of the organizations of great parochial and ecclesiastical value. They are one of the visible faces of social pastoral care and for that reason we can only thank them for the work they do.”

Meanwhile, Emilce Cuda, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, expressed: “I encourage you to listen to the cry of the poor, to imitate Francis, who walks alongside the poor, sick and discarded. Let us walk together to contribute to the church so that our people. have life in abundance. Let us begin new processes of help in which the pastoral and economic walk hand in hand. Let us launch a dialogue of social friendship.”

The representative of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development of the Vatican, Alessandra Silvi, presented the message sent by Cardinal Michael Czerny, who invited: “May this Congress be a work that we all carry out together from the same boat. in abundance, which is found in God.”

María Amparo Alonso, Director of Advocacy and Communication of Cáritas Internationalis stated that: “Cáritas is the caress of its universal people, we are that family present and united by the common mission, putting people at the center.

Finally, Bishop José Luis Azuaje, president of the SELACC, expressed that: “Synodality, solidarity and fraternity: together with the poor we renew hope”, with this motto we are walking together in a poor church for the poor, in a prophetic church, in solidarity with our people who suffer the most, with the poor we renew hope. Our congress wants to be a space of brotherhood and a path to continue fulfilling our mission.”

Communities of Life

During the days of the Congress, participants will work in communities on the themes of: “Ecological synodality, networks for the care of the Common Home; Encourage transformative charity in communities; Human Rights, peace and reconciliation; Older people: towards a society of all ages; Migration, refuge and trafficking; Strengthening the Identity and Management of Selacc; Walking alongside resilient communities and Cáritas Joven.”

In parallel, during the days of the Congress, there will be various presentations to learn about the social reality of the Region on topics such as: Where are we as a church and Cáritas?; Together listening to the Holy Spirit and the poor; Dreaming of new times for Latin America and the Caribbean, something new is emerging, among other presentations that will serve as a basis for the work in these days.