Caritas Europa

Caritas Europa is a European confederation of Catholic social service providers and international development and humanitarian relief organisations operating in Europe. It is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis.

Caritas Europa refers to both the European network with its 49 member organisations, and its secretariat based in Brussels, Belgium.

History

Caritas Germany, established in 1897, was the first Caritas organisation. Over the following decades, numerous other Caritas organisations emerged in other countries. Caritas Internationalis, the global Confederation of all national Caritas organisations, was founded in 1950 in Rome. Its European members worked together as the informal "European region" of Caritas Internationalis and starting in 1966 met every two years. Cooperation and collaboration increased throughout the 1970s and 1980s, especially after the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC administration insisted on working with a unique interlocutor instead of individual NGOs. For this reason, the Caritas network in Europe and other NGOs created the NGO Euronaid in 1980, particularly for the distribution of food aid by the EEC.

In the 1980s, European Caritas organisations recognized an increasing need for a pan-European Caritas structure. Rather than establishing a formal legal entity, they opted to have European member organisations collaborate through consortia with varying memberships tailored to different areas of work. For instance, one consortium focused on providing aid in Poland, while another implemented programmes in Russia, and so forth. This collaborative model was endorsed during its general assembly, formally called "Regional Conference", of the European members of Caritas Internationalis in Luxembourg in May 1985. This new cooperation model was named Euro-Caritas and was overseen by Caritas Belgium in Brussels. Edward de Brandt was appointed as its Managing Director and served in that capacity until 1992. Euro-Caritas was mostly an initiative of the Caritas organisations based in the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union.

At the same time, between 1983 and 1991, the name Caritas Europa was used as the working title for the European region of Caritas Internationalis. This structure continued its work also outside of the European Economic Community, such as with the Council of Europe.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism, numerous new Caritas organisations emerged in central and eastern European nations. At the regional conference of the European region of Caritas Internationalis in Vienna, in 1991, Luc Trouillard of Caritas France was elected as Secretary-General and Msgr. William Kenney from Sweden was elected as President.

In July 1993, Caritas Europa was formally established as a non-profit association under Belgian law with its secretariat based in Brussels. Until then, the secretariat had been located in Lucerne in the premises of Caritas Switzerland. This new legal framework consolidated the former Euro-Caritas structures and the European region of Caritas Internationalis into a unified entity. In 2015, the Caritas Europa secretariat moved its office into the same building as Caritas International Belgium in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels.

Work

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An Austrian Caritas volunteer supporting in the preparation and distribution of food in Graz.

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Textitle collection box from Caritas Spain in San Andrés del Rabanedo.

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Caritas Poland distributing bags with food in Sanok.

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An Austrian Caritas worker visiting a patient in the geriatric ward of a hospital in Salzburg.

Caritas Europa consists of 49 national member organisations that are working in 46 European countries. The member organisations are active in combating poverty and social exclusion, providing social and welfare services, dealing with migration and asylum issues, combating human trafficking, providing humanitarian aid in Europe and across the world, regional development, peace programmess and projects around the world. Caritas Europa fosters cooperation and mutual learning among its member organisations and facilitates capacity building, joint advocacy and joint projects and programmes.

The secretariat, headquartered in Brussels, employs staff engaged in advocacy activities targeting the European Union, the Council of Europe, and their respective member states. They focus on policy issues concerning poverty, social inequality, migration, asylum, emergency humanitarian assistance, and international development globally.

Caritas Europa is affiliated with a range of other platforms, including the European development NGO network CONCORD, the European humanitarian NGO network VOICE, the social and healthcare organisation network Social Services Europe, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles and others. Caritas Europa states that it maintains a "privileged partnership" with the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and CIDSE, an umbrella organisation for Catholic development agencies from Europe and North America.

Membership

Over the years, the number of member organisations has continuously increased. As of 2024, Caritas Europa consists of 49 national member organisations operating in 46 European countries, covering every European Union and Council of Europe member state, as well as Belarus, Kosovo and Russia.

In certain countries, multiple Caritas member organisations exist. For example, Ukraine has Caritas Ukraine (Greek-Catholic bishops' initiative) and Caritas-Spes (Roman Catholic bishops' initiative). In the United Kingdom, there are three Caritas organisations: CAFOD for international programmes and CSAN for national social programmes, while SCIAF serves as the national Caritas organisation in Scotland. Northern Ireland is covered by Trócaire, the Irish member. Because Caritas Europa adheres to the structure of the Catholic Church, Caritas Cyprus is not affiliated with Caritas Europa, although Cyprus is an EU member state. Instead, Caritas Cyprus is part of another region within Caritas Internationalis known as Caritas Middle East and North Africa (Caritas MONA).

National Caritas organisations are the members of Caritas Europa. In most countries, each national organisation serves as an umbrella for various diocesan Caritas organisations. Diocesan and parish Caritas groups operate locally but are not direct members of Caritas Europa.

Membership activities vary widely. Some organisations focus solely on domestic social welfare (e.g., Caritas Moldova or Caritas Montenegro), while others specialize in international development and humanitarian aid (e.g., Cordaid, CAFOD). Some organisations engage in both domestic and international activities (e.g., Caritas Spain, Caritas Germany, Caritas Poland).

Certain member organisations working internationally act as "partnership organisations", supporting local partners abroad without direct implementation. Examples include Caritas Portugal and Caritas Denmark. Others, like Caritas Czech Republic and Caritas Switzerland, establish offices in third countries to directly manage humanitarian and development projects.

As Caritas Europa is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis, all members of Caritas Europa are also members of Caritas Internationalis.

List of member organisations

Country	Member organisation (English name)	Member organisation (Local name)	Established
	Caritas Albania		1993
	Caritas Andorra		1993
	Armenian Caritas		1995
	Caritas Austria		1903
	Caritas Azerbaijan		?
	Caritas Belarus		1990
	Caritas in Belgium	,	1949
	Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina		1995
	Caritas Bulgaria		1993
	Caritas Croatia		1992
	Caritas Czech Republic		1928
	Caritas Denmark		1947
	Caritas Estonia		1997
	Caritas Finland		1960
	Caritas France		1946
	Caritas Georgia		1994
	Caritas Germany		1897
	Caritas Hellas		1976
	Caritas Hungary	/	1931
	Caritas Iceland	—	1989
	Trócaire	—	1973
	Caritas Italy		1971
Template:Country data KOS	Caritas Kosovo		1992
	Caritas Latvia		2004
	Caritas Lithuania		1926
	Caritas Luxembourg	—	1932
	Macedonian Caritas	/	1993
	Caritas Malta	—	1965
	Caritas Moldova	—	1995
	Caritas Monaco	—	1990
	Caritas Montenegro		1979
	Cordaid	—	2000
	Caritas Norway		1952
	Caritas Poland		1990
	Caritas Portugal		1956
	Caritas Romania		1994
	Caritas Russia		1991
	Caritas Serbia		1995
	Caritas Slovakia		1927
	Caritas Slovenia		1995
	Caritas Spain		1947
	Caritas Sweden		1946
	Caritas Switzerland	, , ,	1901
	Caritas Turkey		1951
	Caritas Ukraine		1992
	Caritas-Spes Ukraine		1991
: England and Wales	CAFOD	—	1960
: England and Wales	Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)	—	2003
: Scotland	SCIAF	—	1965

Executive leadership

Presidents

The position of President of Caritas Europa was established in 1992, just before the network was legally created. Prior to 1992, the official title was Vice-President of Caritas Internationalis – Regio Europa.

• 1961–1965: Jacques de Bourbon-Busset
• 1965–1969: Abramo Freschi
• 1969–1972: Leopold Ungar
• 1972–1975: Juan Antonio Masip Pinilla
• 1975–1983: Louis Gaben
• 1983–1991: Fridolin Kissling
• 1991–1999: Msgr. William Kenney
• 1999–2005: Denis Viénot
• 2005–2007: Cristina Loghin
• 2007–2015: Fr. Erny Gillen
• 2015–2020: Msgr. Luc Van Looy
• 2020 – present: Fr. Michael Landau

General Secretaries

• 1983–1991: Walter E. Laetsch
• 1985–1992: Edward de Brandt (Managing Director of Euro-Caritas)
• 1991–1995: Luc Trouillard
• 1996–2002: Hermann Icking
• 2002–2010: Marius Wanders
• 2010–2019: Jorge Nuño Mayer
• 2019 – present: Maria Nyman

Selected photos and videos

• Stamp commemorating the foundation of Caritas Germany in 1897, the first Caritas in the world.
  Stamp commemorating the foundation of Caritas Germany in 1897, the first Caritas in the world.
• Donation box of Caritas Kosovo in Pristina International Airport.
  Donation box of Caritas Kosovo in Pristina International Airport.
• Presence of Secours catholique (Caritas France) in Suresnes.
  Presence of Secours catholique (Caritas France) in Suresnes.
• Van of the Italian parish Caritas San Giovanni Valdarno.
  Van of the Italian parish Caritas San Giovanni Valdarno.
• Centre in Šuto Orizari in which Macedonian Caritas offers school support to Romani children.
  Centre in Šuto Orizari in which Macedonian Caritas offers school support to Romani children.
• Headquarters of Armenian Caritas in Gyumri.
  Headquarters of Armenian Caritas in Gyumri.
• Counselling centre for returnees of Caritas Serbia in Belgrade
  Counselling centre for returnees of Caritas Serbia in Belgrade
• Second-hand store by Caritas Zurich.
  Second-hand store by Caritas Zurich.
• Video presenting a social support project of Caritas Coimbra, one of the diocesan structures of Caritas Portugal.
  Video presenting a social support project of Caritas Coimbra, one of the diocesan structures of Caritas Portugal.
• Volunteers of a Czech diocesan Caritas cleaning the second-hand wardrobe.
  Volunteers of a Czech diocesan Caritas cleaning the second-hand wardrobe.
• Volunteers of Caritas Vienna with fresh food produce.
  Volunteers of Caritas Vienna with fresh food produce.
• Guesthouse of Caritas Bar in Montenegro.
  Guesthouse of Caritas Bar in Montenegro.

External links

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