Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle cited the importance of unity within the Church to extend assistance to the poor sectors of society effectively.
"This is a call for walking humbly with God and a process of discernment, confronting our un freedoms and following the spirit of freedom, and at the same time, the walking together of different cultures in their unique expressions of humanity,” His Eminence said following the removal of Pope Francis of all the top officers of Caritas Internationalis, including Cardinal Tagle as president.
Founded in 1951, Caritas Internationalis is the social action arm of the Roman Catholic Church.
"In order to improve the fulfillment of this mission, it would appear necessary to revise the current regulatory framework to make it more appropriate to the statutory functions of the organization, and to prepare it for the elections to be held at the next general assembly. With the fervent wish to facilitate the envisaged renewal of the Institution,” read part of the decree issued by Pope Francis.
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) stressed that the change of leadership has nothing to do with corruption or reports of sexual impropriety but with a more effective fulfillment of the Church’s charity work.
“No evidence emerged of financial mismanagement or sexual impropriety, but other important themes and areas for urgent attention emerged from the panel’s work. Real deficiencies were noted in management and procedures, seriously prejudicing team-spirit and staff morale,” the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said.
The Pontiff’’s decision is in line with the new apostolic constitution “Praedicate Evangelium “ that tasks the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to oversee the Catholic Church’s charity work including Caritas Internationalis.
Pontificio Collegio Filippino rector and Radio Veritas Vatican correspondent Fr. Gregory Ramon Gaston, for his part, cited the assistance provided by Caritas where it is needed,
“Caritas never abandons areas in times of natural or man-made calamities. Each member agency or organization is autonomous. Each has its own set of directors, projects and finances, and does not receive direct orders continuously from Caritas International. Given this degree of autonomy among member organizations and the intense work that each carries out, it is totally understandable that there is always room for improvement,” said Fr. Gaston over Radio Veritas.
Pope Francis removed from office all the executives of Caritas Internationalis (CI), a Vatican-based confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social services organizations working in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The next general assembly, where the new officers are elected for a four-year term, is scheduled in May 2023.
For the meantime, Pope Francis has appointed Pier Francesco Pinelli as Temporary Administrator (Commissario straordinario in the original Decree) of Caritas Internationalis. The Holy Father also appointed Maria Amparo Alonso Escobar and Rev. P. Manuel Morujão, S.J., as support to Pinelli "for the personal and spiritual accompaniment of the employees,” the decree said.
Cardinal Tagle who has held the post since 2015 and was supposed to step down next year will be assisting Pinelli in preparation for the general assembly in 2023.