Charity should be given freely and lived humbly with the poor, never letting it become hypocrisy, a slick business or a way to soothe a troubled conscience, Pope Francis said.
"Not only does charity that doesn't 'reach the wallet' end up being fake charity, so does charity that doesn't involve the heart, soul and our whole being," he said on May 27 during an audience at the Vatican with delegates attending the general assembly of Caritas Internationalis.
The Vatican-based confederation of more than 160 Catholic national charities was holding its 21st general assembly in Rome, electing new officials, reviewing polices and focusing on the theme, "One Human Family, One Common Home."
