Caritas Snapshot
The Vatican City-based humanitarian agency Caritas Internationalis is an umbrella organization for some 160 Catholic groups that provide development, relief, and social services to the poor. Services have been provided in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The organization also advocates for its positions on topics that include human rights, the Mideast peace process, and unfair trade practices. The first Caritas organization was founded in 1897 in Freiburg, Germany; the first general assembly of Caritas Internationalis with founding member groups was held in 1951.
