India: Caritas Disputes Minister’s Assertion

By Rita Joseph

The international head of Caritas today refuted a call by a minister for social organisations not to take positions detrimental to the state.

Speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of Caritas, Michel Roy, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, said the Church takes a position only when circumstances are damaging to the poor in particular and people in general.

He said the role of Caritas was to create solidarity between peoples – “a secularised, united India in faith in God”.

The Church takes positions to carry the voices of the poor and not to create rebellion of any kind, he said.

He was answering a federal minister, Jairam Ramesh, who said such organisations quite often tend to overstep the dividing line by taking positions detrimental to the state.

“At times we have to make some concessions for the larger good of community,” Ramesh claimed.

welcoming the delegates to the two-day golden jubilee celebrations Bishop Peter Remigus, chairman Caritas India, said “our main job is to create awareness – what we are for the people and what advocacy and justice can do to the poorest of the poor.”