Cardinal Tagle elected Caritas President

Cardinal Tagle elected Caritas President

(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines has been elected as the new president of Caritas Internationalis. He was nominated at the confederation's 20th General Assembly in Rome.

Following his election, the Cardinal, speaking by phone to the delegates from over 130 member organisations from all over the world said "Buona sera a tutti!" "Thank you for your trust. I'm limited in my capacities but with all of you, with the love that Jesus has poured into our hearts and in the name of all of the poor people in the world, I accept this election."

He added, "let us together strengthen the church of the poor so our witness can help guide us to a world of understanding, justice, true freedom and peace."

Cardinal Tagle is the first Caritas Internationalis President to be elected from Asia and was congratuted by the outgoing President Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

Alexander Bodmann from Austria was also elected as the new Caritas Internationalis Treasurer.

The Caritas Internationalis 20th General Assembly runs until the 17th May

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