Caritas Andorra () is a not-for-profit

social welfare Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance p ...

organisation in

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

. It is a service of the

Catholic Church in Andorra The Catholic Church in Andorra is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are about 60,000 Catholics in Andorra, making up 88% of the total population, and the country forms part of the Sp ...

and a member of both

Caritas Internationalis Caritas Internationalis (Latin for ) is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the ...

and

Caritas Europa Caritas Europa is a European confederation of Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billi ...

History

In the 1960s and 1970s already, there were Caritas organisations active at

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

level in Andorra. On , this activity was formalised with the establishment, according to

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

, of Caritas Andorra, the national federation of all parish Caritas in the country. In 1983, during the 12th General Assembly of

in Rome, Caritas Andorra was accepted as a full member of the global confederation. The latest statutes of the organisation were approved in 1994.

Structure

Càritas Andorrana is an institution of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,parishes of Andorra Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes (, singularparròquia). Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes–Engordany, was created in 1978. Overview Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra. ...

have their own parish Caritas ("Càritas parroquial") which together make up the federation that is Caritas Andorra: Caritas

Andorra la Vella Andorra la Vella is the capital and largest city of Andorra. It is located high in the east Pyrenees, between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parishes of Andorra, Andorran parish that surrounds the capital. , the city had a populati ...

, Caritas

Canillo Canillo () is one of the seven parishes which make up Andorra. Canillo is also the name of the main town of the parish. The parish is considered the religious center of Andorra with the Sanctuary and Chapel of Our Lady of Meritxell, patron sain ...

, Caritas

Encamp Encamp () is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira d'Orient river. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, El Tremat, La Mosquera and Les Bons. As of 2004, it ha ...

, Caritas

Escaldes–Engordany Escaldes–Engordany () is one of the seven parishes of Andorra. The Escaldes–Engordany parish was founded in 1978 by being separated from Andorra la Vella. The parish is composed of the areas les Escaldes, Engordany, Els Vilars d'Engordany, E ...

, Caritas

La Massana La Massana (; originally ''La Maçana'') is one of the seven parishes of Andorra, parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana ...

, Caritas

Ordino Ordino () is the most northerly parishes of Andorra, parish in the Principality of Andorra. It's mostly the main area of Valira del Nord or ''Valira d'Ordino'' river valley. Ordino is also the name of the main town of the parish. Other settlements ...

, and Caritas

Sant Julià de Lòria Sant may refer to: People * Alfred Sant (born 1948), Maltese politician * Andrew Sant (born 1950), English-born Australian poet * David Sant (born 1968), Catalan director, actor and writer * Indira Sant (1914–2000), Indian poet * James San ...

Work

In line with its mission to support the most vulnerable members of society, Caritas Andorra provides assistance in various ways. The ''Acollida'' ("reception") programme offers personalised, holistic support to individuals and families in difficulty, including counselling, legal and psychological assistance, as well as help with housing, employment, and daily needs. The organisation also manages a

food bank A food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distrib ...

and a second-hand clothing store. Thanks to property donations from individuals, Caritas Andorra is able to provide rental homes at social and affordable prices. The organisation collaborates with the government by participating in the National Housing Commission and has developed a specific programme aimed at promoting fair and sustainable housing policies, ensuring access to decent housing for everyone in the country. In 2023, Caritas Andorra supported 1,148 individuals in need. Beyond its domestic efforts, Caritas Andorra aids victims of disasters and emergencies abroad. For instance, it raised funds for those affected by the

2023 Turkey earthquake 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

and provided humanitarian relief items to those impacted by the 2024 Valenica floods. Caritas Andorra funds its initiatives through private and corporate donations, including support from the association of Andorran Banks (Andorran Banking),

Andorra Telecom Andorra Telecom is the sole operator of land telephone, mobile telephone, pay television and Internet in Andorra, a telecommunication monopoly. It is a public company owned by the Andorran Government. AT also manages the technical infrastructure ...

Creand Creand (formerly Crèdit Andorrà) is a financial group in the Andorra, Principality of Andorra founded in 1950. The group has a presence in Andorra, Spain, Luxembourg, the United States (Miami) and Panama. Development With an international pres ...

and the Andorran government.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Charities based in Europe Organizations established in 1979 1979 establishments in Andorra Catholic Church in Andorra

Social justice organizations Christian organizations established in 1979