Rome, Italy, May 26, 2011 / 18:00 pm
Michel Roy has been elected as the new general secretary of Caritas, the Catholic Church’s confederation of charitable and development agencies. The 56-year-old Frenchman was voted in by a majority of delegates at the organization’s general assembly in Rome.
“I’m very moved by this. I’d like to thank Lesley-Anne (Knight) for the work she’s done so far and also all of you for the work that you do for this network which reflects the hopes of the poor to build a better world,” Roy told delegates upon his election. He is currently the international lobbying and advocacy director for Secours Catholique, the French affiliate of Caritas.
Roy’s election comes at difficult time for Caritas. The organization has heard calls this week from various high-ranking cardinals urging it to improve its Catholic identity. These calls include Cardinal Robert Sarah, the head of the Vatican body responsible for Caritas, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
In his opening address to the Caritas general assembly in Rome on May 22, Cardinal Sarah said, “A Caritas that wasn’t an ecclesial expression would have no meaning or existence. The Church cannot be considered as a partner of Catholic organizations. They are the organizations that take part in her mission.”