Pope: Care for poor difficult but ‘integral part of Christian life’
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with members of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities USA, the American member of Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s charitable outfit.
In his address, the Pope recognized that personal and institutional difficulties often confront those who seek to proclaim the Gospel through caring for the poor and most in need.
“These include finding sufficient resources, demonstrating to others that this type of service is an integral part of authentic Christian living, and not giving way to discouragement, particularly when we meet those whom we cannot help in the way that we would like,” he said.
Pope Leo noted that Catholic Charities USA is “by no means immune from these challenges.”
“Yet, it is precisely when we are confronted with such obstacles that we must learn to hear Jesus’ voice saying to us once more, ‘I am with you always!’” he said.
In late March 2026, the US government cut funding to a program run by the Archdiocese of Miami, which provided services for unaccompanied minors for decades.
Operation “Pedro Pan” had helped the Office of Refugee Resettlement place children in foster care and reunite them with family members since 1960.
The Pope went on to encourage the “worthy efforts” of Catholic Charities USA to carry on the Lord’s “ministry of compassion, especially to the least among us.”
“In doing so, you seek to find solutions to inhumane situations, alleviate the suffering of individuals and families, and relieve the burden of those who are weighed down by hardship and strife,” he said. “In all of these circumstances, it must be the charity of Christ that compels you in your daily work.”
Catholic Charities USA includes over 170 diocesan agencies and is one of the largest social services organizations in the United States.
Pope Leo recalled that love for neighbor offers tangible proof of a Christian’s authentic love for God.
Catholic charitable workers, said Pope Leo, must be driven by “the desire to bring to others material aid with the love of the heart of Jesus, for it is in that love that they will find genuine rest and their dignity be respected.”
As they assist the less fortunate through practical assistance, he added, Catholic Charities comes into contact with the flesh of Christ.
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Board of Directors to recognize that Christ’s Resurrection “makes all things new” and allow the organization’s work to be guided by the hope of Easter.
“I offer good wishes for your noble mission and assure you and all of your colleagues of a remembrance in my prayers.”
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