Pope increases status of Caritas Internationalis, 'Cor Unum' link

Published: 2004-11-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Raising the technical status of Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella group of Catholic aid agencies, Pope John Paul II also strengthened the supervisory role the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" has over it. In a letter presented to Caritas Internationalis Nov. 13, Pope John Paul conferred on the group the status of a "public juridic personality," strengthening its ties to the Vatican and formally recognizing that the federation carries out its charitable activities in the name of the Catholic Church. Caritas Internationalis, whose statutes were approved by the Vatican in 1951, is made up of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service agencies working in almost 200 countries.

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