Honduran Cardinal re-elected President of Caritas

(May 25, 2011) Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga has been elected to a second four-year term as president of Caritas Internationalis, the charitable organization of the Catholic Church. Caritas members are in Rome through Friday for the 19th general assembly of the confederation of diocesan charitable organizations from around the world. This year's assembly marks the 60th anniversary of the confederation, which joins some 165 Catholic charity organizations.
68-year-old Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga is the archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In his opening address on Sunday to the assembly, he noted the ongoing "constructive dialogue with the Holy See talking about a dual legal and theological nature of Caritas Internationalis." In 2004, Caritas was given the status of a "public juridical entity." With that status, the cardinal noted, "Caritas Internationalis is an instrument of the Holy Father." He also confirmed that Vatican’s Pontifical Council Cor Unum is preparing a document to re-emphasize the bishops' responsibility in their local or national Caritas. More than 50 bishops are attending the gathering. The delegates elected Jürg Krummenacher as treasurer. The election for the secretary-general will be on Thursday.