Pope: Care for poor difficult but ‘integral part of Christian life’

Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with members of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities USA, the American member of Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s charitable outfit.

In his address, the Pope recognized that personal and institutional difficulties often confront those who seek to proclaim the Gospel through caring for the poor and most in need.

“These include finding sufficient resources, demonstrating to others that this type of service is an integral part of authentic Christian living, and not giving way to discouragement, particularly when we meet those whom we cannot help in the way that we would like,” he said.

Pope Leo noted that Catholic Charities USA is “by no means immune from these challenges.”

“Yet, it is precisely when we are confronted with such obstacles that we must learn to hear Jesus’ voice saying to us once more, ‘I am with you always!’” he said.

In late March 2026, the US government cut funding to a program run by the Archdiocese of Miami, which provided services for unaccompanied minors for decades.

Operation “Pedro Pan” had helped the Office of Refugee Resettlement place children in foster care and reunite them with family members since 1960.