Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lisbon (Agenzia Fides) - The President of Caritas Portugal, Eugenio Fonseca, received from Parliament the Human Rights Award 2012. "Caritas welcomes this award - he said - as a sign of appreciation for the work of animation carried out by various Church bodies present in the work in favor of human rights, in particular the protection of social rights." According to the note sent to Fides Agency by Ecclesia, before presenting the award, which took place on December 10, the President of the Commission for Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, Fernando Negrão, who promoted the ceremony, presented the Catholic organization of solidarity as an "institution with an incessant and recognized activity in the defense of human dignity."
Negrão praised the role of Caritas in "speaking out against poverty and social exclusion" as well as "in the fight against the stigma of emerging poverty, invisible to many ... always putting people at the center of all their actions and not looking for an easy or immediate recognition by the media."
In his speech, Eugenio Fonseca launched an appeal to overcome the dichotomy between "charity and justice, human rights and assistance, timely action and economic and social development." According to the head of Caritas Portuguese, these "widespread" oppositions had the effect of "damaging social integral action". Fonseca concluded with "a commitment and a call", so that those involved in the fight against poverty, which becomes "more and more serious every day,"join in their efforts, and urged Members of Parliament to create laws that "go over the scandalous inequalities and face other social injustices." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 12/12/2012)
