BENEDICT XVI: TO CARITAS DELEGATES, "FACING GREAT CHALLENGES BY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE REAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE" (2)

It is a challenge "to place humanitarian assistance in the context of a personal mark of faith, which then becomes part of the gift given to the poor". "Just when the charity activity gets the form of donation of oneself, inspired by Christ – underlined Benedict XVI, – it may become a gesture that is really worth the human person created in the image of Christ". The second implication recalls that "God’s love is given to anyone – said the Pope, – since the charity of the Church is universal in the purposes, and thus it must include a commitment to social justice. However, changing the unfair social structures is not enough to guarantee the happiness of the human person". Moreover, by mentioning his speech in Aparecida (Brazil), in which he said that the task of policies "is not immediate competence of the Church", Benedict XVI confirmed that the mission of the Church "is rather to promote the whole development of the human person", that is, attention to the "promotion of human dignity, wellness", and "eternal salvation".