“Everyone must do his share”

Over 150 participants in the 71st general Assembly of Caritas Spain, held a few days ago in the spirituality home “San José”, in Madrid’s area of El Escorial, have welcomed, in their final statement, the invitation of Pope Francis to “to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel” to accompany the victims of “this culture of waste where god mammon is at the centre”. Uncertain future. “The crisis continues representing a terrible sacrifice for many families. We are the witnesses of the desperation of many people who turn to Caritas for help and we sadly observe the gradual disintegration of social services and restrictions of rights, the abandonment to their destinies of all these people, who, as Pope Francis said, are the victims of a culture of waste” states the final Declaration. Although it is widely believed that the crisis is gradually waning, “we acknowledge that its most serious effects are still present in the lives of the most disadvantaged persons”. And even if the crisis should be overcome, it will leave in its wake “a more unfair and precarious society, with new victims, that will add on to the victims of the post-recession period, with decreased human rights”. Moreover, “the path leading to a more hopeful scenario is still uncertain, and in any case it will be a long way. As Caritas this new situation forces us to change so we may address the new developments”. People at the centre. In its final statement the Caritas General Assembly called for the creation of a society “that will put people at the centre and where the economy is at their service, giving priority to life and sustainability instead of being a tool of exclusion and injustice” for a society “that focuses on the reaffirmation of the communitarian values of solidarity and fraternity for the good of everyone, especially for the poorer brackets, to become a truly ethical and democratic society”. A society that will “strengthen its commitment for global development and cooperation with Southern countries, compared to mere economic growth”. A society “open to the reality of a global world without borders, where everyone, with the same rights and dignity, are members of one human family”, A society “based on co-responsibility, where the various players take their own responsibilities. Public administrations, as guarantors of rights, are responsible for the implementation of policies, providing sufficient services and resources to ensure high-quality welfare-state. They cannot and must not disregard this mission, nor claim the responsibility of third parties using it an excuse to assume this role”. Also “civil society must play an active role, boosting its commitment for the defence of the common good, supervising to ensure that the State develops its functions and assumes an ethically-grounded leadership for the protection and development of a shared social program”. On its part, “the market should responsibly be committed for the common good, without expecting to profit from this situation”. Finally, “people should direct their lives towards simpler lifestyles and more sustainable consumption models, so that everyone may be responsible for everyone else”. Going towards the peripheries. In this context, “we want to be a Caritas whose action is guided by Christ, with the poor at the centre”. This entails “going towards the peripheries to accompany the outcast and develop innovating, significant initiatives”; “to exert public pressure in order to denounce the structures of injustice, pain and suffering and implement concrete proposals that will help put the Gospel into practice”; “not replacing the action of public administrations”; “not working alone but focusing on dialogue with Governments to impact social policies”; “reaffirming the universal defence and respect of human rights and the rights of all people based on the principles of Church social doctrine”; “believing in the participation of the poor”, to become “an open communitarian space”; “mindful of ongoing changes to discover the new poverties without forgetting the old ones”; “strengthening, with presence in parishes and at local level, community animation”; “ensuring active participation in Caritas Internationalis and national and international networks in the social sector to the benefit of the rights of communities and neglected peoples”; “ensuring that citizenship is not acquired only through work”, since “we believe that the recognition of the dignity of the human person cannot be subjected to the working situation”.