What does it mean for a charity to call itself ‘Christian’?
by Abigail Frymann Rouch, Christian Today.
[…] Any religious aid agency operates in tension between the ideals of their supporters, the complex realities of suffering, and a secular market-place that may be wary of Christian beliefs and practices, especially regarding sexual ethics. This is why charities may emphasise their religious ethos to some audiences and play them down to others. Some Christian charities effectively adopt the maxim of St Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.’
For example, Christian Aid’s Head of Church Advocacy, Policy and Public Affairs, Dionne Gravesande, told Christian Today: ‘We believe that every human being is created in the image of God, and should have a life of dignity and worth. Our essential purpose is to expose the scandal of poverty.’ Cafod said in a statement: ‘We don’t preach … We believe our values are best shown through working for justice and an end to poverty.’
How explicit should a religious charity be? Pope Benedict XVI feared that the spiritual dimension of Catholic aid work could be lost amid secular approaches to charity. Archbishop Paul Cordes, the head of the Vatican’s charitable arm, said at the start of Benedict’s papacy in 2005: ‘Sometimes, Christ’s message is reduced to that which interests public opinion: justice, peace, and quality of life. It is rare when one speaks about sin, love of God and eternal life.’ Later, in 2009, he added that helping the poor was the means by which to bear Christian witness, and that it was important not to absorb the priorities of ‘organisations alien to the Church’.
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