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Kevin ClarkeJune 06, 2011

Caritas Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight, the first woman to hold that position, bid farewell May 27 to the Caritas community at its general assembly in Rome. Knight had just finished to four-year term and was expected to be reappointed, but her candidacy for the position was waved off by the curia, much to the consternation of the Caritas board. Long-standing tension between Caritas and Cor Unum, which oversees relief and development work for the Vatican, appear to have been behind the decision not to reappoint the well-regarded administrator. (Our Austen Ivereigh wrote recently: "Knight—together with the rest of Caritas leadership—stands accused in some Vatican quarters of being too independent of the Curia, too much like secular nongovernmental organizations and too inattentive to the presumably more traditional sensibilities of member organizations in the developing world.")

She says in parting:

My wish for Caritas would be that you continue that journey—united in minds and hearts. I have no doubt that we have been on the right road; and I hope that Caritas will:

Continue to be a powerful and authentic voice of the poor and ensure that their voices are heard in international debates on climate change, migration, health, food security and chronic poverty.

Continue to reach out and embrace the wider humanitarian community. Collaborate with other faith-based and secular organisations that share our values. There is much we can contribute – and much we can learn.

And finally, continue to work towards a more equitable balance between women and men in the leadership of Caritas organisations. We should not forget that lay women make up a huge proportion of Caritas workers. They deserve respect and recognition. My appointment as the first woman Secretary General in 2007 was a courageous step. You know that we can do the job – only fear, misogyny and prejudice stand in your way.

Knight also had some encouraging words, I think, for incoming General Secretary Michel Roy:

I hand the reins over to you with affection. You will be in my prayers, for I know you have some substantial challenges ahead. You will need the courage of a lion; the skin of a rhinoceros; the wisdom of an owl; and the patience of a polar bear. And I don’t know if there is an animal with eyes in the back of its head, but that could also be very useful!

Read the rest of her farewell address at Independent Catholic News.

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david power
14 years 1 month ago
"And I don’t know if there is an animal with eyes in the back of its head, but that could also be very useful!"

LOL, What could she mean by that??
I am sure that she has faced a lot in her time in Rome and have no doubt had she been a man her problems would have been a lot less.However, the gaping hole in her final message as given above is Jesus Christ.
Not even a superficial acknowledgement. That is part and parcel of Romanita!
I hope that the new guy has a smoother ride and that all of the great work of Caritas and given the underpinning the Pope desires.    
david power
14 years 1 month ago
Please strike the above from the record! I read her entire message and it does mention you-know-who. I am wiping the egg from my face.
Either way ,Good luck Michel Roy and God bless this lady.
14 years 1 month ago
A superb speech.
The drive for "distinctive Catholicsm" is continuing to impact service ministruies, I think, negatively.
Then there is also the question of the often charged mysogony by the curialists?

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