Charity Service Dicastery
The Dicastery for the Service of Charity and the Mother of Mercy Clinic: Two Pillars of Mercy in the Heart of Rome
The Dicastery for the Service of Charity, also known as the Office of the Papal Almoner, and the Mother of Mercy Clinic are two significant expressions of mercy in the Roman Catholic Church, both located in the heart of Rome.
The Dicastery, under the guidance of Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, serves as the "emergency room" of the Church, providing immediate aid and support to those in need. It carries out aid and assistance offered in the name of the Roman Pontiff, demonstrating the solicitude and closeness of the Pope towards those experiencing situations of extreme need, exclusion, and poverty, as well as grave disasters.
Pope Francis often refers to the Church as a "field hospital", and the Dicastery for the Service of Charity embodies this metaphor, offering a special expression of mercy. The Pope personally determines the forms of aid to be given in cases of particular need or other emergencies. The Dicastery has sent humanitarian aid, particularly to the people of Ukraine affected by war, including essential goods, clothing, hygiene products, medicine, and food.
The Dicastery receives, seeks, and requests voluntary donations for the works of charity that the Pope carries out for those most in need. The Almoner of His Holiness, who heads the Dicastery, has the faculty to grant the Apostolic Blessing through properly authenticated parchments.
The Mother of Mercy Clinic, located under the right colonnade of Saint Peter's Square, is a facility offering free healthcare to those in need. It provides a significant number of medical services and exams each year, with over 15,000 medical services and exams provided annually to around 8,000 people. In addition to medical services, the clinic offers showers to those in need.
The Mother of Mercy Clinic, supported by the Dicastery, extends its services beyond Saint Peter's Square. Through mobile medical units, the clinic offers services in the outskirts of Rome, reaching those who may not have easy access to healthcare. The Malteser organization, another significant player in the Church's charity efforts, annually provides over 10 million medical services and examinations worldwide.
Both the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and the Mother of Mercy Clinic align with the mission of offering a place of dignity in a spirit of fraternity. They are a testament to the Church's commitment to serving those in need, embodying the spirit of Pope Francis' vision of a Church that is a "field hospital" for the world.
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