Call to celebrate Catholic Church contribution to humanitarian aid

The Catholic Church is the second largest deliverer of humanitarian aid in the world and that “needs to be celebrated”, the chief executive of Trócaire told a justice conference hosted by the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland.

In his keynote address, Seán Farrell noted that while everyone has heard of the Red Cross and the Red Cresent, society needed to be reminded of the Church’s role in delivering aid.

The conference, titled “Advancing Justice, Peace and Care for Our Common Home”, explored opportunities for collaborative, faith-based responses amid a fractured global reality.

Farrell spoke about the recent changes to overseas development aid and governments’ undermining of multilateralism and funding for poverty alleviation projects as well as the impact of war on the poorest.

“What do we do together about global poverty and climate change in a world that is doing less to respond?” he asked.

Dr Kevin Hargaden of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice spoke about the role of civil society and faith-based organisations in response to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.

The apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, he said shows Pope Leo sees himself as continuing Francis’ work.

“Dilexi te is not a document about social policy but a summons to conversion. It insists that the credibility of Christian faith today depends on whether we actually love the poor,” he told the 70 delegates including members of religious orders.  

Its purpose is to call the whole Church to rediscover that love for the poor is the heart of Christian holiness, not a peripheral concern or optional social commitment.

“In an age marked by inequality, ecological crisis, and spiritual fatigue, Leo XIV reminds us that the future of the Church lies with those the world forgets. To ignore the poor is to misunderstand Christ,” Dr Hargaden said.

“In an age where tyrants seek to pervert the Christian message, it presses a challenge to us: how do we continue this great, rich, sacrificial tradition to love the world and its creatures with a love that reflects the Creator?”

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