Caritas Korea gets OK from North Korea to lead aid program

Published: 2006-11-07

SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -- With the agreement of the North Korean government, Caritas Korea is leading Caritas Internationalis' aid program to the communist country, said the president of Caritas Korea. Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik of Daejeon, South Korea, said Caritas Korea has the responsibility to help approximately 5 million poor North Koreans. Caritas Korea staffers will meet with their North Korean counterparts on behalf of Caritas Internationalis, plan and implement aid programs, receive donations from local and overseas sources and cooperate with other Caritas Internationalis members and supporters, the bishop said. Bishop You said that since Nov. 1 Caritas Korea has had a mandate to coordinate the program. UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, reported the bishop made the announcement in an Oct. 30 press release. Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations in more than 200 countries and territories. Caritas Korea is the confederation's local affiliate.

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