The head of Caritas International, the international consortium of
Catholic relief agencies, has expressed concern that some member
organizations will become “disillusioned” because of Vatican
interference.
Lesley-Anne Knight, whose re-appointment as secretary-general of Caritas has been blocked by the Vatican, told the National Catholic Reporter
that Vatican officials had not communicated clearly with the
international consortium. Knight says that she was taken completely by
surprise when the Vatican declined to approve her for a new leadership
term.
She reports that she has never spoken with Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, the Secretary of State, who conveyed the Vatican decision.
There has been only “minimal contact” between Caritas and the Pontifical
Council Cor Unum, she said.
In opting for new leadership, the Vatican called for greater efforts to
ensure the Catholic identity of international relief operations.
Knight
insists that she supports that goal, but says that Catholic identity can
mean different things to different groups within the international
coalition.
“We need to respect the collegiality of bishops,” Knight said, pointing
out that the member-groups within Caritas International are responsible
to the bishops within their own countries.
“If you’re Caritas-Japan,
what does Catholic identity in Japan mean? It may not be the same as for
Caritas in Spain. That’s the richness, but at the same time the
vulnerability, of the Caritas confederation.”