See a need and act on it

See a need and act on it: that's the logo of Caritas Germany,a founding member of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church's umbrella association of aid agencies that reaches out to help people in need all over the world.

As Pope Benedict is scheduled to meet with representaves of Catholic lay associations who lend their service for the good of the Church and society, Linda Bordoni spoke to Dr. Georg Cremer, Secretary General of the German Caritas organisation.

Dr Cremer explained that Caritas is the largest welfare association in Germany. Some one million people work as paid employees or volunteers in roughly 25,000 centres and institutions nationwide. These include hospitals, homes for the elderly, shelters for streetpeople and so on.

Caritas Germany supports eleven million people every year in overcoming different social problems and difficult situations.

He explained how important the Catholic concept of subsidiarity is in German society,and how each German Caritas Association is responsible for organising and financing the services they effectively provide on-site.

Dr Cremer also spoke of the organisation's prime concern which is advocacy for disadvantaged people, to whom Caritas offers support in making their interests and needs heard and in claiming their rights, speaking out against any social and political developments that contribute to disadvantage and exclusion.
Dr. Cremer who was one of the participants at the Mass in Frieburg, also speaks of his expectations regarding this Apolstolic journey and of how the Pope's words and presence can influence "the way we see the problems and the way we speak on faith and society".
Listen to full interview...