Making ends meet in Monte Carlo

“Caritas Monaco is the world’s smallest national Caritas, but faith has made it big”: said Robert Ferrua, native Monegasque, permanent deacon, with a professional background in banks and Alcatel Alsthom, has now devoted his services as president of Caritas Monaco, along with several pastoral assignments in the Monegasque diocese. “We work in Monaco and in neighbouring French and Italian regions and throughout the world, giving priority to children, to old people”, and to emergency interventions, Ferrua said. Serious situations are handled by “Cross-border Caritas” with the cooperation of the Italian dioceses of Ventimiglia and San Remo in conjunction with the Secours Catholique of the Nice diocese. “We provided joint support during the earthquakes in L’Aquila and in Emilia and during the emergency of Tunisian immigrants in Ventimiglia…” Figures show that the Principality has no public debt, with a per capita GDP of approximately 60 thousand euro per year. Unemployment is practically non-existent: the Statistics Bureau in Monaco has made known that 30 people receive an unemployment benefit. The word “poverty” is present in none of the Institute’s surveys. Are there poor people in Monaco? “Yes. It can be said that there are poor people in Monaco, not because solidarity doesn’t exist or because the government does nothing. The main reason is linked to the high prices of housing rents, justified by the small geographic extension of the Principality. These costs can be faced when both husband and wife have a job. Things get complicated if one of the spouses dies at the time of retirement: paying the rent, or coping with an unexpected expense, such as the theft of a scooter, a wash-machine that breaks down, the purchase of eyeglasses or a dental repair make it harder to make ends meet. However, the system of social protection is among the best in the world, and social assistance offices in Monaco provide the help needed”. Monaco is considered a tax haven, famous for its Casino, the Grand Prix and its high standard of living… “There’s a misunderstanding. Monaco is not a tax haven. The banking system is just like the French one, and even though income is not subject to taxation life is very expensive. Indeed, Monaco is renowned for its Casino, the Grand Prix, its football Club, but not for its most important feature: it’s a city-State of 35thousand inhabitants that provides employment to 52 thousand people, 5 thousand from Italy and over 30 thousand of whom from the French region of Provence-Côte d’Azur. Indeed, many millionaires also live in the Principality of Monaco, and almost 120 nationalities are present alongside with the 8 thousand Monegasques, 10thousand French and 7 thousand Italians”. How does the Church, called to be poor, live in this context and how does she proclaim “Blessed are you, who are poor”? “The Principality of Monaco is concordatory. This means that churches and religious buildings, schools as wells as the apartments of the priests, are state-owned and state-run. The priests are civil servants and are paid by the State. The Constitution of Monaco in paragraph 9 states that the Catholic religion is the State religion. The Church proclaims her message freely. She is not poor, but she carries out her commitment for the poor and the youngest, and has no problem in proclaiming the beatitude “Blessed are you poor”, just as she proclaims the virtues of faith, hope and charity, underlining at the same time that love is the most important thing and that without charity faith is not fulfilled”. What forms of sensitivity and commitment for poverty are lived in Monaco? “Without a doubt, starting with its first citizens, the sovereign Prince Alberto II and his family, the Principality’s commitment against world poverty is a role model for other States. In the Principality are active nearly 100 charities, ten of which are Catholic and 5 of Christian inspiration. At the request of the Sovereign, the International Cooperation Department was set up within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that almost seven years ago gave birth to the ‘Monaco Collectif Humanitaire’ that brings together all the charity and solidarity associations wishing to participate and cooperate, including Caritas Monaco. For example, this initiative has given birth to Monaco Collectif Haiti, which upon request of the Sovereign brought together the efforts of various charities to provide relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake. The results were extraordinary. We managed to set up a kindergarten and an elementary school for 300 children in difficult situations in Port au Prince, and thanks to the determination of Caritas Monaco the school is run by the archdiocese of Port au Prince”.