Struktury charytatywne w Kościele

Abstract

The Service of charity in the Church is carried on in frames of the organizational structures (Caritas Internationalis, National Caritas, Diocesial Caritas, Parish Sections of Caritas) and of the priestly structures (Charitable Boards of the Episcopate; Diocesial Sections of Charitable Priesthood; Parish Charitable Groups). The organizational model of the welfare work spread in the Church on a large scale, beside indubitable good sides of it, as: haring ready handsome financial means; possibility of the full-time and part-time employment; quick reactions in case of urgent help; realization of long-term charitable programs; managing of closed and specialists benevolent institutions (centres) — it has also considerable defects: it gives an occasion to exclusive service of charity, although it is a duty of all God’s People; it causes that the problem of spiritual formation in doing charity is receded into the background and the main accent is being put, first of all, on methodical formation that directly prepares for the welfare work; it bears the danger of subordination of the charitable actions of the Church to political influence. The Second Vatican Council [not calling in question the organizational model of the welfare work] declared itself for the need of displaying the welfare work in priestly structures [dioceses, parishes), The Pope, Paul the Sixth, by the document “Amoris Officio” [July 15, 1971] according to the thought of the Vatican Council, set up the Central Institution in the Church [of priestly kind] called: “Papieska Rada Cor Unum” (“The Pope’s Council of Cor Unum”). That Institution aims at co-ordination of all the charitable initiatives: those of the organizational kind, and those that are undertaken in ordinary priesthood. So, this essay [treatise] shows [from the factual and lawful side] the work of benevolent organizations in the Church with particular including the character and bases of functioning the “Caritas Internationalis” as a confederacy of various, local charitable associations, and it also shows what part the “Pope’s Council of Cor Unum” plays [especially we can see it in its statutes resolved in 1977], That part consists in integration of the whole charitable doings of the Church “ad intra” and “ad extra”; and also it consists in fulfillment [of a much more scale than it can be done by one of the Roman Curia departments called: “The Pope’s Service of Aid and Charity”] the special charitable tasks assigned by the Pope. The Church, after the Second Vatican Council aims at integration of both hitherto existing organizational models of charity service, namely: the priestly model and the organizational model. The ordinary service of charity [in such an interpretation] is undertaken by all God’s People. And the charitable organizations have special tasks to fulfill: in a range of managing of specialized charitable institutions; coming with help in urgent need and extremities [for example: disasters, catastrophes, cataclysms]; realization of long-term charitable programs [ex: the program of elementary education); undertaking (on the Church behalf) co-operation with international, state, social and religious institutions and with other several actions of aid.