What is charity? We started with this question when writing our September 2024 Newsletter. It is not a simple question, as the answer is quite complex. Charity is neither begging nor charity. Or better, it is not only represented by these acts. Charity is a lot more.

Saint Paul’s words are enough to understand this: “Charity is patience; charity is benign. Charity is not envious, it does not boast, it doesn’t bloat, charity does not miss respect, it doesn’t search for its own interests, it doesn’t get angry, it doesn’t keep account of the bad received, it doesn’t live on injustice, but it pleases the truth. It covers all, believes all, hopes in all, and supports all.”.

The apostle writes these words in the first letter to the Corinthians, read by the character of Rodrigo Mendoza, interpreted by Robert De Niro, in the beautiful film Mission by Roland Joffè. Rodrigo came out of his prisons of unrestrained selfishness, from the trampling of others, from the daily renunciation of that charity, which is a loving gaze on the other person. Now he is back, free to love.

Useful are also the words of the writer John Ruskin to reach closer to the concept of charity: “If it casts malice, it will overflow hatred. If it casts charity, it will overflow love.” Even Pope Francis words help us: “By curing the wounds of the refugees, of the displaced, and of the victims of trafficking, we put into practice the commandment of charity that Jesus left us when he identified himself with a stranger, with someone who suffers, with all the innocent victims of violence and exploitation.”.

There would be other thoughts of the Pontiff, but the ones already cited are enough to make us conscious of how much charity is something greater and precious, as well as something that requires work and energy. To orient ourselves in this fundamental word, we asked different people of different nationalities, cultures, religions, professions, and missions to explain to us what charity to them is and how they incorporate this in their everyday lives.