1. Caritas Internationalis was established in 1951, during the pontificate of Pius XII in order to bring together the work of Catholic charities around the world.

2. On its founding, Pope Pius described Caritas as the “official mouthpiece of the Church in relation to its teaching in the area of charity work”.

3. Future Pope Paul VI as Cardinal Montini, Vatican secretary of state, was a guiding light in the early days of the Caritas confederation.

4. Pope John XXIII became the first Pontiff to travel on the Italian Presidential train, in 1962. The parlour car he travelled in was used by Caritas Internationalis as part of a celebratory trip to mark the confederation’s 60th anniversary in 2011.

5. In his landmark 1967 encyclical, Populorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI noted, “Our own organisation, Caritas Internationalis, is at work all over the world.” Here’s a picture of Pope Paul blessing Caritas in St Peter’s square the year before

6. Pope John Paul II visited Caritas Internationalis’ offices in Rome’s Trastevere district in 1979.

7. Pope Benedict visited Caritas Rome’s homeless shelter on Valentine’s Day 2010.

8. Pope Benedict’s Holy Thursday mass collection from 2012 was given to Caritas Syria to assist those in difficulty because of the country’s civil war.

9. In his Motu Propri in November 2012, Pope Benedict said that bishops should “encourage in every parish of his territory the creation of a local Caritas service or a similar body, which will also promote in the whole community educational activities aimed at fostering a spirit of sharing and authentic charity”.

10. Pope Benedict told Michel Roy, Caritas Internationalis secretary general, that Caritas was “The heart of the Church” not long before he resigned.

Caritas Internationalis