Habemus Papam!

CADEV-NIGER and Caritas Internationalis are delighted to join the universal Church in giving thanks and welcoming Pope Leo XIV. We pray fervently at the start of his sacred ministry and commit to following and supporting him in a spirit of service and synodality, so that in guiding the Church he may be a visible foundation of unity in faith and communion in charity, "building bridges through dialogue" to build a synodal Church, walking together for greater peace and charity, close to those who suffer.

The choice of the name Leo is deeply significant as the 134th anniversary of Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum approaches on 17 May, a clear commitment to the Church's social apostolate and to Catholic social doctrine.

As "the service of charity is a constitutive element of the Church's mission and an indispensable expression of her very being" (Benedict XVI, Intima Ecclesiae Natura), this new chapter invites us to renew our mission – to bear witness to the love of Christ through concrete acts of compassion, justice and hope for the world's most vulnerable, with the dignity of every person at the center, listening to "both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" (Pope Francis, Laudato Si', 49).

"Caritas is not just a humanitarian agency, it is a concrete manifestation of God's love," said Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, President of Caritas Internationalis. "We stand ready to accompany the Holy Father as the charitable arm of the Church, building a community that serves and uplifts every person in dignity."

"This is an exciting moment for the Church and the world," said Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis. "Pope Leo XIV's immediate attachment to issues of peace, solidarity, dialogue and charity, and in particular his commitment to people who suffer, testifies to his dedication to a missionary Church for the poor and for social justice. We look forward to continuing our mission and working with the Holy Father to bring hope where it is most needed."

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was born in Chicago, Illinois, and most recently served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Before that, he was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, where he lived for more than 20 years. He served on the board of Caritas Peru from 2022 to 2024.

Rooted in the Gospel and the Church's social doctrine, Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 member organizations working in more than 200 countries and territories to respond to humanitarian crises, promote integral human development and denounce injustice, in order to build a world "where every person, whatever their race, religion or nationality, can live their human life to the full" (Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 47). As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Deus Caritas Est, "there will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbour is indispensable."

Inspired by Pope Francis's words in Fratelli Tutti – "A love capable of transcending borders is the basis of what we can call universal fraternity" – Caritas Internationalis reaffirms its commitment to a global fraternity that leaves no one behind. We commit to walking together, within the Church and with the people of God, to build a more just, peaceful and compassionate world – where no one is excluded and love knows no borders.

Cardinal Robert during a meeting with the Caritas of his diocese in Peru