Peter's Pence collection focuses on love for poor

(June 08,2010) The upcoming annual Peter's Pence collection - the Pope's charity campaign, will focus on the relationship between solidarity and love. This year's collection, which will take place June 26-27 in most parishes, will center on the theme, "Cast the Love of Christ Upon the World," reported a press release from the U.S. bishops' conference. The theme is taken from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate," which states, "God's love gives us the courage to continue seeking and working for the benefit of all".The collection traditionally takes place on the Sunday nearest the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, or on another day as designated by the local church. The money collected on this day will not fund the Holy See, but will be exclusively dedicated to aid the poorest local Churches. The Pontiff uses this money to exercise charity on behalf of the entire Church. It has been used to aid HIV/AIDS orphans in Kenya, a Catholic hospital in Bosnia, and the Nazareth Boys Town in Mbare, Rwanda, which give a home to orphans, who are frequently victims of the genocide and civil war.
The Peter's Pence collection includes contributions from institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life and foundations, as well as donations from individual lay people.
The conference communiqué affirmed that this collection is an opportunity for parishioners to unite in solidarity with the Holy Father, the faithful worldwide and those most in need of charitable love.