Caritas Internationalis | Global Advocate in the New Century
Global Advocate in the New Century
A turning point in Caritas's history came in the early 1960s, with the release in 1965 of Vatican II. In addition to sweeping reforms within the Catholic Church itself, Vatican II also called for Catholic aid efforts—led by Caritas Internationalis—to adopt a new and broader global focus. As a result, Caritas's relief operations no longer targeted especially the world's Catholic and Christian populations, but instead sought to extend its efforts toward the world's poor and needy, regardless of religion or other affiliation.
Vatican II signaled the creation of a new round of Caritas members, as Catholic relief services extended into new areas of the world. An example of this new expansion came in Pakistan, at the signing of Vatican II in 1965, with a first donation from the Vatican toward the establishment of a wing of Caritas in that country. Caritas Pakistan opened its doors in Lahore in 1966 under the leadership...
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