Caritas Asia, one of seven regional offices of the Catholic Church’s humanitarian agency Caritas Internationals, reelected Bangladeshi Dr. Benedict Alo D’Rozario as its president.
His reelection came Wednesday, May 10, during the Caritas Regional Assembly in Rome, a day before the 22nd General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis.
He will serve for a second and last term of another four years.
D’Rozario was first elected into the post in 2019, making him the first lay person to fill the role, succeeding Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo.
Caritas Asia, composed of 24 regional offices, is part of Caritas Internationalis, which coordinates more than 160 Catholic charities in about 200 countries and territories.
D’Rozario, 66, served in Caritas Bangladesh for 29 years. He retired in 2016 after serving as the agency’s executive director for 11 years.
Meanwhile, more than 400 delegates of the Caritas organizations worldwide are currently in Rome to vote for a new leadership.
The positions to be filled, among others, include president, general secretary and treasurer.
Pope Francis last year placed the Caritas Internationalis management under temporary administration to supposedly improve its management rules and procedures.
Almost six months ago through a decree, he appointed Dr. Pier Francesco Pineli as temporary administrator of Caritas Internationalis.
The decree also named Dr. Maria Amparo Alonso Escobar and Jesuit Fr. Manuel Morujão as support to Pinelli “for the personal and spiritual accompaniment of the employees.”
Throughout the period, they were assisted by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, president emeritus of Caritas Internationalis, who was responsible for relations with the local Churches and Caritas’ network.
