In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!

Your Eminences,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is a joy for me to greet you this morning, members of the Representative Council of Caritas Internationalis, and in particular the President of Caritas, Cardinal Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo. Welcome! I thank you for your visit during this Jubilee Year of Hope, and for the steadfast service that your organization continues to offer to the whole Church, to people throughout the whole world.

From its foundation, Caritas Internationalis has embodied the Church’s proclamation that «Christ’s preference is for the poor, the least, the abandoned and discarded» (Francis, Message to Participants in the General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis, 11 May 2023). Indeed, this vision can be seen in the Eucharist itself, where the Lord “having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). In my Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, I reflected on this very mystery: that the love we receive from Christ is never a private treasure but always a mission entrusted to our hands.  Love sends us forth; love makes us servants; love opens our eyes to the wounds of others.

Caritas Internationalis has long been a luminous sign of the Church’s maternal love, and I am heartened to know that you stand ready to walk with the Successor of Peter in serving every person with dignity. Your mission echoes the vision I shared in my first address to the Diplomatic Corps, where I spoke of the three pillars that sustain the Church’s work in the world: peace, justice, and truth. These pillars are not abstract ideals. They are your daily work, the daily work of Caritas. Wherever you accompany a displaced family, or defend the rights of the poor, or offer a listening heart to the forgotten, the Church’s witness becomes ever more credible.

In this spirit, I encourage you to continue accompanying local Churches, strengthening the formation of lay leaders, and safeguarding unity within your diverse organization. The Church’s mission unfolds only when we walk together as companions along the way, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our works of mercy.

With these brief thoughts, I entrust your work to Mary, Mother of the Poor. Through her intercession, may you remain pilgrims of hope and artisans of peace. Quite sincerely, I thank you, each and every one of you, and the many people that you represent, those who work with you. I thank you and I ask the Lord that He will bless you with gifts of courage, perseverance and joy. God bless you.

And let us pray together: Our Father …