Paris (Fides Service) - “We intend to extend our action to meet emergency needs anywhere in the world: today our attention is on Darfur, Sudan and tsunami affected areas in east Asia”, said Denis Viénot, new President of Caritas Internationalis illustrating the future programme of this federation of Catholic Aid agencies. Viénot was appointed Caritas President last week to take the place of Archbishop Fouad El Hage who died on May 4 this year.
A married man of 59, the first layman to head Caritas Internationalis, Viénot has been president of Caritas Europe and vice-president of Caritas Internationalis. He will serve until the next General Caritas Assembly in 2007.
The new President told Fides something about the main challenges facing the organisation: “It is important to continue our work to promote awareness at the international level and to pressure governments and international institutions to reach the identified ‘Millennium Goals’. We must also continue our efforts to help build peace in contexts of war and to protect human rights in countries such as Colombia, Sudan, Kosovo and also Afghanistan, where Caritas has an office in Kabul and has a programme to provide healthcare for women”.
“We will continue working all over the world - said Viénot - with our network of 162 national offices through which we offer assistance of all kinds, encourage solidarity and promote justice, and protect and help the weakest citizens”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/05/2005 Righe: 24 Parole: 241)