The archbishop wants more international support in areas where the Ukrainian government struggles to provide adequate resources.

Archbishop Kulbokas highlighted three critical areas of concern during a video conference organised by Caritas Lithuania on 20 August.

Two involve aiding prisoners of war, including children and civilians deported to Russia, and providing support to those returning to Ukraine, many of whom have suffered severe abuse including sexual violence.

"This area is in the most acute need of the Catholic humanitarian efforts, like Caritas and their volunteers, because the Ukrainian government simply lacks adequate resources to tackle this problem" said Kulbokas, addressing the conference from Kyiv.

The third involves the importance of "monitoring the field of information".

"The Ukrainian people, traumatised by war and unceasing stress, can sometimes respond inadequately to the providers of humanitarian aid" he said. The archbishop added "Our priority should be not to judge them but prevent the attempts to frame such incidents as the reasons to cut the aid to Ukraine".

Harrowing accounts

Archbishop Kulbokas revealed that around 3,000 prisoners of war have been released through exchanges mediated by countries such as Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at the request of Russian negotiators. The Holy See's efforts also facilitated the release of ten civilians including two priests on 28 June.

The Archbishop shared harrowing accounts from some of the released prisoners who described brutal conditions including forced standing for hours, inadequate food and severe beatings.

"All the ex-prisoners whom I have talked to said they'd rather be dead [than be in prison]" Kulbokas reported.

None of the released prisoners had been allowed visits by the representatives of the Red Cross, so Russian claims to the contrary are lies Kulbokas stated.

The nuncio earned respect among the diplomatic corps by remaining in Kyiv when the invasion began in February 2022. He said this decision depended on courage and prayer.

"If we take our potential seriously, the impossible becomes possible" he said.

Sources

The Tablet

Under President Daniel Ortega, incidents against the Catholic church have included arson, harassment and the arrest of clergy.

This crackdown reflects the Ortega regime's broader strategy to silence dissenting voices, particularly those within the Church, which has been one of the government's most outspoken critics.

In August 2024, the Nicaraguan government took further steps to dismantle civil society by revoking the legal status of 1,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

There are 678 Catholic and evangelical NGOs in the group that have been closed, including the diocesan Caritas of Matagalpa, a Catholic charity known for its extensive humanitarian work.

The government justified this move by claiming that these NGOs failed to meet financial reporting requirements. However, critics argue this is part of a systematic effort to eliminate opposition.

The assets of these shuttered organisations have been transferred to the state, raising concerns about the government's increasing control over civil society.

Clergy forced to leave

The Catholic Church, particularly in the Diocese of Matagalpa, has been a primary target of the Ortega regime.

In early August, two more priests were exiled from the country, joining a growing list of clergy forced to leave Nicaragua under duress.

The exiled priests had been under house arrest before their expulsion, part of a broader crackdown that has seen religious leaders detained, held incommunicado and forced into exile.

Bishop Rolando Álvarez is among those exiled. Álvarez is a prominent critic of Ortega and was sentenced to 26 years in prison before being forced to leave Nicaragua in February 2023.

The regime's actions, including the church attacks, have drawn sharp criticism from the international community, with human rights organisations and religious freedom advocates calling for increased pressure on Nicaragua. There have been calls for targeted sanctions against Nicaraguan officials responsible for these human rights violations.

The Vatican, which has seen its diplomatic relations with Nicaragua deteriorate sharply, has also condemned the ongoing persecution of the Church. Closing the Vatican's nunciature in Managua in March 2023 marked a low point in relations between the Holy See and the Ortega regime.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Vatican News

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

"We stand in solidarity with the communities which are hit by coal power projects," said Father Warren Puno, director of the Ministry of Ecology in south-central Luzon.

"This is a matter of life and death. We cannot simply stand by and watch our community suffer," added the regional coordinator of the South Luzon Eco-Convergence Hub of Caritas Philippines.

Puno told UCA News on April 23 that they were pushing for remedies for all coal-affected communities.

"We are seeking compensation for damages, health care support, and a just transition to clean energy," he said.

Read More

The agencies working in the area are warning that starvation and famine threaten hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

Catastrophic conditions in Gaza

In a joint statement, the Caritas agencies of the three countries say the situation in Gaza is rapidly worsening. Over 31,300 people have been killed and 73,100 injured in the conflict so far.

"Starvation has become a very real danger.

"Already 27 people, including 23 children, have died of malnutrition and about half a million people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity" the Caritas agencies say.

Pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need adds urgency and strength to Caritas's alarm.

The people "are closer than ever to the crucified Saviour" stresses Aid to the Church in Need.

In its most recent report it says the Christian community in Gaza "is going through the worst period" since the start of the war on 7 October 2023.

Sr Nabila Saleh of the Holy Family parish in Al Zeyton calls the situation distressing.

The church is currently sheltering 128 families — a total of 512 Christians, Catholics and Orthodox. Among the families are 120 children under the age of 18. Sixty people have disabilities. There are also 84 elderly people.

Demands for humanitarian access

The Caritas groups are urging "all diplomatic, political, legal and economic means possible" to establish guaranteed humanitarian corridors into Gaza. These corridors are vital links as they ensure safe passage for food, water and other supplies.

Caritas has rejected proposals for airdrops or maritime deliveries as "undignified" and "neither viable nor sustainable".

"A single truck can deliver up to 10 times as much aid as an airdrop" its statement says.

It then quotes the World Food Programme's deputy executive director, saying "Airdrops are a last resort and will not avert famine. We need entry points to northern Gaza".

Australia urged to follow Canada and New Zealand

The agencies have called on Australia to restore funding to UNRWA, the UN agency aiding Palestinian refugees. This would put it in line with Canadian and New Zealand policies.

"As the people of Gaza mark the holy periods of Lent and Ramadan, we call on our prime ministers to act on their conviction 'that a sustainable ceasefire is necessary to finding a path towards securing lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians'," they say.

Ceasefire and Prisoner Release Demanded

Among other urgent demands, the Caritas agencies called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire by all parties, They are also calling for all hostages and people whom Hamas and Israeli authorities have arbitrarily detained to be released.

The joint statement from the aid agencies followed grave warnings last month by the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

These warnings focused on indications Israel was planning a ground offensive into Rafah, which they said would be "catastrophic".

A month on, the Catholic aid agencies say they are "disturbed to note that Israel is not heeding their call to 'listen to the international community'".

Sources

• Supplied
• CNA

There's a desperate search for thousands of people missing after a powerful storm burst dams near the Mediterranean city of Derna on 10 September.

That event unleashed a torrent of water that devastated at least a quarter of Derna's buildings. Buildings along with their residents were washed away.

Many people are missing. Many are believed to have been swept out to sea.

As corpses continue to be washed ashore, catastrophic flooding continues.

Confusion and devastation

While initial reports estimated about 6,000 people died in the 10 September event, subsequent reports speak of at least 11,300 deaths and 10,100 missing people.

However, the UN says revised numbers are somewhat lower.

The UN says at least 3,958 people have died, citing UN World Health Organisation (WHO) figures. A further 9,000 or more people are still missing.

In addition, the UN says as at 17 September over 40,000 people were displaced, according to data from the International Organisation for Migration.

The figures are expected to change as search-and-rescue efforts continue to look for survivors.

As telecommunications have been interrupted, roads destroyed and electricity towers toppled, rescue efforts are being hampered however, causing further hardship for survivors.

Prayer and practical help

Pope Francis has voiced his "heartfelt spiritual closeness" to the people of Libya through communication with the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai.

He says he hopes others will join him in praying for the injured, those anxious for loved ones, emergency workers and "for the souls of the deceased and all who mourn their loss."

The Holy Father invoked divine blessings of consolation, strength and perseverance upon all affected by the tragedy.

Calling for global solidarity to help Libya's suffering people, he said "May we not fail in our solidarity with these brothers and sisters, tried by such a devastating calamity."

What practical global solidarity might include

The International Rescue Committee says it is "gravely concerned about the protection needs of those caught up in this tragedy, especially thousands of women and children who have to leave their homes in search of safety."

It is calling for urgent emergency shelters and psycho-social support.

Medical services that need support have been impacted.

There are displaced patients and an overwhelming demand for medical help. There are damaged ambulances that need repairing. There are physical access challenges and logistical support needs.

There are fears about waterborne diseases.

Derna lacks clean drinking water. Medical supplies are lacking. The city's hospital is reportedly overwhelmed with the number of dead.

Caritas

Caritas - the Catholic Relief Agency - is helping assess the damage and getting help to the most needy," says Caritas's Australia's Humanitarian Emergencies Associate Director.

"Libya has been in a state of civil war since 2011, which has led to a significant loss of life and has forced many people to flee from their homes and become displaced.

"Despite a ceasefire since 2020, there is still political instability as well as damage and disruption to infrastructure," a Caritas statement says.

Source

• CathNews Australia
• Vatican News
• Crux
• Reuters
• CNN

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake is the strongest in over a century.

Entire buildings have collapsed, and there are reports some remote villages have been completely destroyed, leaving people trapped or homeless.

Many families are spending sleepless nights outdoors, fearing aftershocks.

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Pope Francis expressed his "profound solidarity" with those impacted by the tragedy and is praying for the happy repose of those who have died. Read More

Ms Robertson, 45, joined Caritas Australia based at North Sydney in a junior position more than 20 years ago.

She has spent the intervening years dedicated to humanitarian work there and in other organisations, including as CEO of Mary MacKillop Today.

She returned to Caritas Australia to become its first female CEO in 2019 and has lived, worked and travelled in more than 50 countries.

On 15 May, she was elected to the new global senior leadership team at the Rome Caritas Internationalis confederation general assembly.

She was recommended for election by the new president, Archbishop of Tokyo Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, alongside whom she will serve a four-year term while remaining the CEO of Caritas Australia.

They were joined by the new secretary-general Alistair Dutton, executive director of SCIAF (Caritas Scotland), and treasurer Patrick Debucquois.

The Sydney Catholic said her election was a surprise.

"The vice-president role has never been held by a woman before and never by an Australian or anyone far from the major centres of power, so it hadn't even crossed my mind," she said.

"In any role I've held at Caritas, it feels like it's my home, so I'm not daunted.

"What I do feel is a weight of responsibility for the women who form part of our confederation because this is a very big step forward in responding to calls for greater diversity at a leadership level."

She was 15 when she first heard about the church's international aid and development organisation.

"A woman named Cath Leary came to my school, Loreto College in Normanhurst, about the work of Caritas," she said.

"Her presentation deeply affected me. This was in the 90s when famine was ripping through Africa, and scenes of dying children were on the front pages of newspapers.

"I'd always felt a call to serve, and I spent a while considering some sort of religious vocation, not knowing, I guess, how to respond to that deep sense that this was what I was supposed to be doing.

"And so when I heard Cath, I knew I wanted to work at Caritas, and that was it.

"She planted that seed in me that you can actually make a difference. You don't have to be a bystander to things that are going wrong in the world."

In her new role, Ms Robertson will share responsibility for making governance decisions and represent the global Caritas network at major international events and other forums exploring solutions to global poverty and injustice.

She'll also continue spending time in communities to strengthen connections between them and Caritas.

The new global leadership team have already had their first meeting, partly to reflect on Caritas' mission to express Christ's love in the world and how to keep it at the centre of their decision-making processes.

The new vice-president said they also discussed practical considerations around staffing and governance issues.

Part of their task will be to move Caritas Internationalis forward positively from the crisis which saw Pope Francis stand down its senior leadership and place it into temporary administration last November.

Cardinal Michael Czerny of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said Caritas Internationalis' "workplace dynamics" prevented the general secretariat from operating properly, undermined staff welfare, and "represented clear and real dangers" to the global network's work and reputation.

Ms Robertson said that as Caritas Australia operates independently under the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, there was little impact on its work despite the disruption at the level of the broader confederation.

"I have always felt supported by the bishops conference and individual bishops and dioceses, members of the Catholic community, parishes and schools," she said.

"I wasn't part of those decisions or unpacking them [about the former leadership of Caritas Internationalis].

"But what I can say is that having just been at the general assembly, and having the opportunity to meet the pope and talk to him and other members who were part of that decision-making, is that the confederation is now in a really good place.

"We're united, we have a sense of our vision for where we're going, and we all have a real commitment to getting back to having the centre of our focus being on the people that we serve and our core mission.

"In fact, I think the general assembly was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life in many ways, and quite emotional to be honest.

"It's hard to describe, but if you put 500 people in a room together whose lives are dedicated to the work of bringing joy in some of the darkest places on the planet, you have this amazing feeling of the Spirit being with you and a sense of great joy."

Ms Robertson said she thought Australians were generally respected in the international Catholic community for contributions to effective leadership.

"I was in Rome with a couple of my staff and they were all quite involved in various sorts of large decisions being made," she said.

• First published by Catholic Weekly. Republished with permission.

When we embrace God's love and when we love one another in him, we plumb the depths of our identity, as individuals and as Church, and the meaning of our existence.

We understand not only how important our own lives are, but also how precious too are the lives of others. We perceive clearly how every life is unique and inalienable, a marvel in the eyes of God.

Love opens our eyes, expands our gaze, and allows us to recognize in the stranger who crosses our path the face of a brother or sister who has a name, a story, a drama, to which we cannot remain indifferent.

In the light of God's love, the reality of the other comes forth from the shadows, emerges from insignificance, and acquires value and relevance.

The needs of our neighbour challenge us, trouble us, and arouse in us a sense of responsibility.

It is always in the light of love that we discover the strength and courage to respond to the evil that oppresses others, to respond to that evil personally, and to confront it by committing ourselves fully and rolling up our sleeves.

God's love makes us sense the weight of the other's humanity as a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light (cf. Mt 11:30).

It leads us to feel the wounds of others as our own and challenges us to pour the balm of fraternity on the invisible wounds that we perceive present in their heart.

Do you want to know if a Christian is living charity?

Then look closely to see if they are willing to help freely, with a smile on their face, without grumbling or getting annoyed.

Charity is patient, Paul writes, and patience is the ability to endure unexpected trials, and daily labours without losing joy and trust in God.

For it is the result of a slow travail of the spirit, in which we learn to master ourselves and acknowledge our limitations.

As we learn to relate to ourselves, interpersonal maturity also develops, and we come to realize that other people too "have a right to live in this world, just as they are" (Amoris Laetitia, 92).

Breaking free from self-referentiality, from considering what we want for ourselves as the core around which everything revolves, even to the point of bending others to our desires, requires not only restraining the tyranny of our self-centredness but also cultivating a creative and dynamic ability to let the charisms and qualities of others come to the fore.

Living charity - caritas - thus entails being magnanimous and benevolent, recognising for example, that to work together constructively first requires "making space" for others.

We do this when we are open to listening and dialogue, ready to consider opinions that differ from our own, not insisting on our own positions but seeking instead a meeting point, a path of mediation.

The Christian who lives immersed in the love of God does not nurture envy, for "love has no room for discomfiture at another person's good fortune" (Amoris Laetitia, 95).

Love is not boastful or arrogant, for it has a sense of proportion.

Love does not set us above others, but allows us to approach them with respect and kindness, gentleness and tenderness, sensitive to their frailties.

"If we are to understand, forgive and serve others from the heart, our pride has to be healed and our humility must increase" (Amoris Laetitia, 98).

Love is not self-serving but aims to promote the good of others and to support them in their efforts to achieve it.

Love does not take into account wrongs endured, nor does it gossip about the evil done by others; rather, with discretion and in silence, it entrusts everything to God, putting aside judgement.

Love covers everything, says Paul, not to hide the truth, in which the Christian always rejoices, but to distinguish the sin from the sinner so that, while the former is condemned, the latter may be saved.

Love excuses everything so that we may all find comfort in the merciful embrace of the Father and be cloaked in his loving forgiveness.

Paul concludes his "hymn" by stating that charity, as a more excellent way to reach God, is greater than faith and hope. What the Apostle says is completely true.

While faith and hope are "provisional gifts", that is, linked to our lives as pilgrims and wayfarers on this earth, charity, by contrast, is "a definitive gift", a pledge and a foretaste of the final time, the Kingdom of God.

Everything else will pass away, while charity will never end.

The good that is done in the name of God is the good part of us that will not be lost or wiped away. God's judgement upon history is based on the "today" of love, on his discernment of what we have done for others in his name.

As Jesus promises, the reward will be eternal life: "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt 25:34). Continue reading

• Pope Francis
• Excerpt from Pope Francis message to participants in the General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis May 2023

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked both countries last week, toppling buildings and killing tens of thousands.

Hearing the call, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will be providing at least NZ$800,000 of immediate aid to Christians in Syria.

After many years of war and the economic collapse of Syria, ACN had projects in place and partners on the ground in cities such as Aleppo and Lattakia. Both cities have considerable Christian communities. Both were badly affected by the quake.

ACN is concentrating its efforts on helping people get back to their homes as quickly as possible.

"It's a desperate humanitarian situation," says Chaldean Catholic Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo and former president of Caritas Syria.

Audo says even before the quake, the Aleppo two million people faced electricity and fuel shortages.

"There is no electricity, there is no fuel, the winter is very harsh, and it is cold inside and outside. There is so much poverty," Audo said.

"It's not easy. The situation is really terrible."

Many people say that even compared to the 12 years of war they have just endured, the earthquake was more terrifying.

Caritas Turkey is also working on the ground.

Besides distributing hot meals and clothes, it has opened a listening centre hotline to provide help to victims, in partnership with the local authorities.

Uyghurs also volunteering

A group of Uyghur volunteers in Istanbul were early responders to the unfolding humanitarian crisis. They drove for 24 hours to assist in relief efforts.

One of the 30-member team's key goals was to help Uyghurs living in Turkey affected by the disaster.

Many Uyghurs who have fled China's crackdown on them in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region - which Uyghurs prefer to call East Turkestan - have resettled in Turkey. There, linguistic, cultural and religious similarities make for an easier transition.

The team was sent "to show that the East Turkestan people and Turkish people are together in thick and thin," said Hidayettullah Oghuzhan, chairman of the Union of East Turkestan Organisations in Istanbul.

Counting the numbers in Turkey and Syria

Officials say over 8,000 people had died in Turkey alone; more than 22,000 are injured.

Around 8,000 have been rescued from the collapsed buildings.

A state of emergency has been declared for three months across ten cities.

Nearly 3,000 deaths were reported in both government and rebel-held areas in Syria - but confirming casualties in Syria is difficult.

Source

• Radio Free Asia
• UCA News
• Catholic News Agency

Whether that image of the pontiff was fair or not, it stuck, so much so that it featured in the opening paragraphs of many papal obituaries.

Today, one sometimes wonders why Francis, in equal and opposite fashion, hasn't yet been termed by his own critics the "Lear Pope," meaning a leader who doesn't hesitate to act - who, in fact, can come off as perhaps a bit rash or impetuous, but never indecisive.

Francis's latest such "Lear moment" came Tuesday, when the Vatican announced that he has essentially placed the global Catholic charity Caritas into receivership.

He fired its entire leadership team and appointed his own interim administrator, Italian organisational consultant Pier Francesco Pinelli, who will run things ahead of the next General Assembly of Caritas set for May 2023.

The changes came as a surprise even to most Caritas personnel, who were gathered in Rome for their first in-person meeting since the Covid pandemic broke out in 2019.

A press briefing with Caritas leaders from various parts of the world was staged Tuesday morning with no mention of the impending papal decree, which came out just as the briefing was wrapping up.

Caritas, whose headquarters are in the Vatican, is a federation of Catholic charitable organisations that operate in more than 200 countries.

In 2020 it reported income of $5.2 million and expenses of $4.5 million, though that's just the Rome budget and does not reflect income and expenses for its various members.

No real explanation was given for the abrupt papal take-over, other than a sort of via negativa - that is to say, we know what the reasons weren't, as a Vatican statement said there was no evidence of financial or sexual impropriety.

(It's telling about the Catholic Church in 2022 that if someone gets fired, you have to say out loud that it wasn't because of money or sex - because if you don't, everyone will assume one of those two things had to be the reason.)

Beyond excluding those two factors, the statement simply said that an internal review had revealed "real deficiencies" in management, leading to damage to "team-spirit and staff morale."

Many observers tend to believe that the problems, at least in part, centred around the ousted Secretary General of Caritas, meaning its day-to-day CEO, an Indian layman with French citizenship named Aloysius John (Pictured).

John came to power in 2019 after other candidates for the top job dropped out, and rumours suggest charges of heavy-handed leadership and suspect management on his watch.

In one possible sign of discontent, Vatican News, the official news platform of the Vatican, reported Tuesday that when Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle read the decree aloud to Caritas members, it was greeted with applause.

Speaking of Tagle, his reputation likely will take something of a hit in the wake of the upheaval. Continue reading

The new group's purpose is to work with the NZCBC on agenda items of importance to Katorika (Catholic) Maori.

"The aim is that they provide a well-grounded voice for Katorika Maori and work in partnership with the NZCBC, embodying a more synodal way for the Church," Cardinal John Dew says.

Te Ropu Maori's inaugural delegates are from each of Aotearoa-New Zealand's six dioceses,

They include both wahine and tane members: Manuel Beazley (Auckland), Father Gerard Paterson (Hamilton), Korty Wilson (Palmerston North), Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard (Wellington), Kathy Simmons (Christchurch) and Sharne Parkinson (Dunedin).

Dew says Te Ropu Maori is in its early stages.

Its members would attend a scheduled meeting of the long-established Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa advisory group in February to reflect on refinements for the future.

The bishops have been wanting to establish a Maori group since a 2019 meeting they had with the long-established Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa.

They acknowledged the need for a Maori voice at the NZCBC meeting table and for a forum to be provided for Maori working in Maori Church communities to come together. It is a synodal way of doing things.

It's not related to the 2023 Synod on Synodality, though.

The timeline to Te Ropu Maori's establishment shows the NZCBC was planning for it before the Pope announced the Synod, but organising it has been delayed by Covid restrictions on meetings.

During the NZCBC meetings Te Ropu members sit at the same table as the bishops for discussions of relevance.

They may take part in these discussions. They were present, for instance, when the bishops heard from other agencies visiting the November meeting, including Caritas, Te Kupenga-Catholic Leadership Institute and the Catholic Education Office.

Te Ropu Maori will attend relevant parts of each meeting of the bishops' conference; the 2023 calendar shows four next year.

Source

• Supplied

They don't want to give up the way of life of generations before them, but they have no choice.

More than 3000 people are stuck on the shrinking, low-lying islands, waiting for the government to fund their resettlement on the mainland of Bougainville.

Rakova owns the tiny atoll of Huene in the six-island Carteret group, where land ownership is traditionally passed down through the women of the clan.

Her organisation Tulele Peisa has helped about 30 families move to land gifted to them by the Catholic church on mainland Bougainville 90 kilometres away, but 350 more families - about 70 percent of the population - need government help to move.

"We can't allow them to move and squat. We want them to move so that they can continue to sustain themselves by growing their own food crops, also growing some cash crops," Rakova says.

The Carteret Islanders depend on government rations because they can no longer grow their own food as seawater erodes the land and encroaches on their crops.

Speaking to The Detail from Bougainville where she now lives, Rakova says she worries that the government's food rationing "continues to breed a generation of people who continue to rely on supplies from the government".

She wants that money to be spent instead on buying land and relocating the families. About 30 percent of the population would remain on the islands, supported by a programme helping them to adapt to the changes.

But her people are competing against communities from other low lying atolls for government relocation funds.

"But let's face it: Carteret Islanders have wanted to move for the last 10, 12 years. It's serious for us, we need to move," says Rakova.

Rakova's story is not unique, but the true extent of the impact of climate change and how many people face dislocation in the Pacific are not known.

"Relocation is always the last resort option," says Martin de Jong, advocacy advisor for the Catholic charity Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. De Jong says even relocations of communities a few hundred metres away are fraught.

In other low-lying Pacific countries on the frontline of sea level rise such as Kiribati, people are fighting to stay. But when it comes to Carteret Islands, moving is the only option, he says. So far, Caritas and other groups have been unsuccessful in their lobbying to speed up the process.

Relocations are often supported by church groups, governments and embassies. Caritas, for example helps with small scale development projects such as a cocoa drier for the Carteret people to process cocoa beans as a cash crop.

De Jong says even those working closely with the Pacific communities do not know the extent of the impact of climate change and sea level rise.

"It is one of the frustrating things of working in the last seven or eight years on the [annual] State of the Environment for Oceania report. We hear a lot of stories of people having to move at various levels but there seems to be very little if any comprehensive assessment of how many people are moving and how many are at risk."

He says the Pacific is very often neglected when it comes to reports on issues such as climate change.

De Jong says groups like his will be pushing hard in the lead up to the next United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 27 in Egypt in November for "stronger, real action on addressing loss and damage with a proper financial facility and more money committed to it". Continue reading

"Let us think of these women and children who in time, without work, separated from their husbands, will be sought out by the ‘vultures' of society. Please, let us protect them," tweeted Pope Francis.

Catholic aid workers' concerns are being broadcast by police.

In Germany, they have been warning for weeks that aid workers, volunteers and refugees should be vigilant at areas where refugees arrive.

They are also tweeting warnings to women and unaccompanied young people in German, Russian and Ukrainian saying they must beware of "suspicious offers of accommodation — contact official agencies only."

Their warnings are timely.

As hundreds of Ukrainian refugees arrive at Munich's main station each day, they run the gauntlet of human traffickers who mingle with aid workers, volunteers and ordinary citizens.

According to several reports, an increasing number of men who want to force women into prostitution are offering "assistance" at the stations.

"Here at the main station, a lot is being done — there is a specialised counselling centre 24 hours a day," the head of the Catholic Railway Station Mission in Munich says.

She and her Protestant counterpart are responsible for the ecumenical refugee reception centre at the station.

"We are on site 24 hours a day; Caritas is here 24 hours a day. It is publicly pointed out in multilingual flyers that the women should be careful. The police are on site. It is not a mass phenomenon, but we have already experienced isolated cases of attempted human trafficking and could be of help to prevent it. I am confident that we have this problem under control here, but it does exist."

Another Caritas spokesperson, said, "There is definitely an attempt to approach these women with their children."

At Berlin's main railway station, mostly older men have been seen holding up signs with offers of accommodation and overnight stays for women, just like real helpers. Suspicions are roused, though, when they show their signs only to certain women. Sometimes they also offer money.

The police have banned certain men from the station premises - but as they haven't committed any crimes, the police could not act further.

On March 15, Valiant Richey (the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's special representative and coordinator for combating human trafficking) gathered representatives of 17 European countries affected by the humanitarian crisis.

The governments of Austria, France, Germany, Romania and Slovakia report monitoring online searches after a spike was noted in people seeking Ukrainian women for sex and marriage. They also distributed leaflets translated into Ukrainian to inform people on the move of their rights and options.

Unfortunately, the warnings sometimes cause the refugees to distrust innocent parties and genuine offers of help.

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Image: Berlin.de

"Today all of humanity has been placed in danger — that the powerful have a right to impose themselves on whomever they wish, with no regard for the rule of law," he said.

"It is our natural right and sacred duty to defend our land and our people, our state and all that is dearest to us: family, language and culture, history and the spiritual world," he said.

Shevchuk said Ukraine "is in danger again," and said "the treacherous enemy" has broken the basic norms of international law, "stepped on Ukrainian soil, bringing with him death and destruction."

"At this historic moment, the voice of our conscience calls us all as one to stand up for a free, united and independent Ukrainian State," he continued.

"The history of the last century teaches us that all those who started world wars lost them, and the idolaters of war brought only destruction and decline to their own states and peoples."

Archbishop Mokrzycki said the Catholic Church all across Ukraine was preparing for the possibility of a wave of Ukrainians being displaced from their homes, especially from the eastern area.

"We are ready to welcome people into our churches and provide them with food and water," he said. "We have organised first aid courses for priests, religious and laity, so that in an emergency they can care for the wounded".

Some eastern Ukrainians have already moved to the west, he said, and "we have already rented some empty houses that will provide accommodation for them".

The archbishop added that the prayers and support of people around the world had profoundly moved him.

"We are most grateful to the entire universal Church, and especially to Pope Francis who has issued a worldwide appeal for prayer for Ukraine," he said.

"I would like to repeat this appeal: Continue this prayer. Keep on praying, until the final peace comes".

Meanwhile, Catholics in Poland are being asked to continue praying for peace but be prepared to welcome refugees from Eastern Ukraine.

Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, president of the Polish bishops' conference, has appealed to Poles to help the refugees.

People displaced from their homes are already arriving in the western part of Ukraine.

A representative of Catholic Relief Services said the US Catholic international aid organisation is also prepared to help.

The Polish archbishop made his appeal on the bishops' conference website after news that Russian-allied separatists in Eastern Ukraine had increased artillery and mortar attacks.

Reports say a kindergarten was hit last Thursday while the children were in the building. According to reports, none of the children was injured, but three staff members were.

"Everyone has the right to live in peace and security. Everyone has the right to seek for themselves and their loved ones conditions that will ensure a safe life".

He said Poland has been opening its doors to newcomers from Ukraine for some time. They "live among us, work with us, pray in Polish churches and study in Polish schools".

Supporting Caritas Poland and their local parish Caritas agencies to help refugees is one way Poles can help.

Caritas is making plans to increase refugee support programmes "in case of further escalation of tension and military action", Gadecki explained.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• CNA
• CNA
• Image: BBC

Confirmation of the Catholic agency's involvement comes from Caritas Director Julianne Hickey, and follows Saturday's eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano.

"Together (with Caritas Tonga) we have completed the pre-positioning of emergency supplies at three locations in Tonga so are well prepared for this kind of eventuality", says Caritas Director Julianne Hickey.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has also offered an immediate Solidarity Grant to Caritas Tonga and is also receiving donations, through its Pacific Relief Fund, to help with the aftermath of the volcanic eruption in Tonga.

Hickey says communications are proving very difficult at the moment but the Catholic agency has been in touch with Caritas Tonga.

Calling them "absolutely terrible, communications difficulties are also highlighted by Fiji-based United Nations co-ordinator Jonathan Veitch.

Veitch says he has worked in a lot of emergencies but in terms of communications this is one of the hardest. He says there are still areas that have not been contacted.

As well as not being able to easily coordinate logistics, Hickey says currently Tonga's biggest concern is clean drinking water.

She says rainwater across Tonga has been contaminated by ashfall.

It is a point echoed by Veitch who is urging New Zealand and Australia to provide bottled drinking water.

He also says with the vast majority of the Tongan population reliant on rainwater there is a need for water testing kits.

As well as inviting people to donate to its Pacific Relief Fund, Caritas is encouraging people to pray for the people in Tonga.

Stocks of Caritas emergency supplies are being prepared in Tonga, prior to Christmas 2021.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tonga and especially with our partners and the communities with which we have been working for many years," Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand says in a statement.

Donations can be made to Caritas online through the Pacific Relief Fund (www.caritas.org.nz/donate-online) or via Caritas' bank account 03-0518-0211216-00.

Caritas asks bank account donors to please include their first & last name and put Tonga as the code.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is a member of the Caritas Internationalis, a network of 165 Catholic justice, peace and development agencies working in over 200 countries and territories around the world.

Sources

• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• NZ Herald

Pope Francis has said that "love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a "culture of care" which permeates all of society'. (Laudato Si 231). Caritas looks forward to participating in the submission process to ensure that the voices of the poor and care for the environment are heard and that positive intent is translated into effective action.

The Catholic Diocese of Westminster's Caritas Bakhita House enabled the traffickers' 20-year old victim to report their crimes to the police.

The traffickers were sentenced to prison terms of 15 and 16 years.

Their victim's nightmare began when she arrived in the U.K. from Romania in April 2019 to take up a factory job.

However, the traffickers forced her to work on the streets of London as a prostitute instead, even after she became pregnant.

She then acquired a mobile phone, which she used to phone her family. They alerted the Romanian police, who contacted their U.K. counterparts.

The Metropolitan Police, which is responsible for law enforcement in the Greater London area, rescued the young woman and took her to the Caritas Bakhita House.

She was seven months pregnant.

According to the Westminster diocese's website, Caritas Bakhita House has helped the woman access medical support, registered her with a midwife, helped he get new prescription glasses and provided her with clothing and toiletries.

Other assistance given to the woman includes English classes and budgeting lessons.

Working with the police and U.S.-based NGO the International Justice Mission,Caritas Bakhita House helped the woman to fulfill her wish to give birth to her baby back home in Romania.

The International Justice Mission collected her from the airport in Romania, reunited her with her family, and is continuing to offer her care and support.

After the two traffickers were sentenced, Detective Inspector Grant Anderson, from the Metropolitan Police's Modern Slavery and Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, said:

"This was an awful crime which subjected a vulnerable young woman to a hideous way of life. We know she will never forget her time in captivity but I can report she gave birth to a healthy baby boy."

"I hope she now has some closure after knowing these men will be behind bars for a long time."

"We are committed to bringing these offenders to justice and will continue to work with local and overseas partners to do this."

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates 24.9 million people worldwide are trapped in forced labour, with 4.8 million suffering sexual exploitation. Women and girls account for 99 per cent of victims in the commercial sex industry, according to the ILO.

In 2019, the Vatican released an online guide seeking to combat the "ugly business" of human trafficking, which generates an estimated $150 billion a year.

Caritas Bakhita House is a Catholic safe house named after St. Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of trafficking survivors.

Source

Catholic News Agency

Image: MintPress News

"Unfortunately, the aftershock of the pandemic" is proving to be "even more complicated and more deadly than the impact of the virus itself, especially for the most vulnerable communities in the poorest countries," Caritas Internationalis said in a statement May 6.

It urged the international community and donor countries "to take courageous and immediate action" or else millions of vulnerable people will face worsening malnutrition or starvation. Read more

About 50 million people who live slightly above the poverty line (i.e. those earning more than US$2 a day) may fall below the line because of the pandemic.

In the past, natural disasters and climate change effects were the main drivers of poverty in Bangladesh.

However, pandemic has impacted all sectors in the country, says Zahid Hussain, who is a World Bank economist.

The most affected will be those involved in unorganized labor sectors.

These sectors include daily laborers, transport workers, rickshaw pullers, restaurant workers and small businesses.

About 20 percent of Bangladesh's more than 160 million people are poor.

An additional 10.5 percent are extremely poor, a 2019 study by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics says.

The study calculated people's ability to buy and consume kilocalories of food instead of gross income or purchasing power parity.

Anu Muhammad, a professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University, thinks up to 80 million poor people in Bangladesh will be drastically affected by the pandemic.

"We have always cast doubts on the government's definition of poverty as we believe the real figure was even higher."

"Despite a government stimulus package for industrial and agricultural sectors as well as relief programs, the real poor are unlikely to benefit and survive," he says.

"Corruption will eat out whatever is for the poor unless we fix the system that deprives them."

"This global crisis is also a result of an unequal global system, and the world must learn a great lesson and abandon the development of wastage such as arms, plastics and nuclear weapons."

Holy Cross Father Liton H. Gomes, a social researcher and rights activist says a greater focus on Bangladesh's recovery and support for vulnerable communities is needed.

Father Gomes, secretary of the Catholic bishops' Justice and Peace Commission agrees.

"The government has come up with stimulus packages, and we need to ensure the support reaches those who need it badly. This might improve the situation for hard-hit people," he says.

"In the aftermath, in our country and across the globe, we should follow the economic model of less production and less consumption, and this can lead us to a better and more equal world."

Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh has distributed hygiene kits, masks and cash handouts in eight regional working areas.

It is making plans for better and creative projects to address urban and rural poverty.

This will involve prioritising income-generating and self-employment projects to help people in Bangladesh fight poverty effectively.

Source

• UCA News
• Image: LightCastle Partners

Caritas NZ has written to Caritas Internationalis expressing its deep concerns and asking how this was able to happen.

"We have sought reassurance that victims are receiving the support they need and that they are taking all appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this cannot occur again," Caritas NZ says in a statement.

The Vatican's Caritas Internationalis charity says it learned in 2017 of paedophilia concerns involving its Central African Republic director, but left it for his superiors to investigate and he remained in place and in ministry until this year.

Caritas NZ says all member organisations of the international Caritas Confederation are independently managed from within their own countries.

As part of the Confederation, each member is expected to adhere to a Caritas Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct and Children and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy.

Caritas International encourages anyone with a child protection concern to report to the local police, Caritas NZ says.

Earlier this week CNN revealed the scandal concerning Delft; reporting that the Belgian Salesian priest was appointed to lead the charity in the poverty-stricken country despite a 2012 criminal conviction in Belgium for child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography.

Two new alleged victims in the Central African Republic have been identified since he was posted there.

Former secretary-general of Caritas International (2011-2019) said he did not know of the conviction until this year.

He admits that in 2017 he had been informed by a therapist that Delft should not be in contact with children.

"I informed Caritas CAR about the therapist's letter and asked them to ensure that the issue was followed up with his order," Roy said in a statement. "I was told that the issue had been resolved."

New safeguarding policies were approved in 2018 at Caritas Internationalis, including the creation of a complaints committee and the appointment of Azzopardi as a safeguarding officer this year.

Azzopardi said a canonical investigation has been launched against Delft, as well as a criminal investigation.

International reaction has been swift as the UN suspended work with Catholic charity in the Central African Republic.

Sources

• CNN
• BBC
• AP News
• Supplied