Caritas Italy was founded in 1971 in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. It is a pastoral organisation and an expression of the Italian Church. Its purpose is to promote the ecclesial community’s witness to charity in forms appropriate to the times and needs, with a focus on integral human development, social justice, and peace. Particular attention is given to the most marginalised, with a prevailing emphasis on education and formation.
The mission is to convey the message of the centrality of charity in social relations, achieved through witness and action. Projects, services, and initiatives are signs of and for a community that can effectively mobilise resources and address people’s needs.
Caritas Italy fosters a network of 217 diocesan Caritas organisations (and their associated entities), which engage in the animation of their communities and provide support to the most vulnerable. It supports the activities of diocesan Caritas and coordinates initiatives across various sectors, including voluntary work, youth empowerment, civil service, peacebuilding, and integral ecology. It also addresses the needs of the elderly, the sick, prisoners, the homeless, migrants, and those experiencing both material and intangible poverty.
Caritas Italy deeply believes in inclusive education and promotes education and training for individuals of all backgrounds; it also fosters research and advocacy, drives strategic planning and ensures clear and effective communication.
Caritas Italy conducts research and analysis into the root causes of poverty, providing concrete recommendations to Italian institutions and civil society organisations to implement solutions for the common good. It collaborates with other organisations, networks, movements and entities that share a Christian vision of life.
Inspired by Pope Francis, Caritas Italiana walks the path of the least, the Gospel and creativity.
Aggiornato il 17 Gennaio 2025
