Christian charity is not just about philanthropy. It should also be an expression of the love of God. This is the idea of a symposium on the spirituality of the Catholic "Caritas Polska", Poland's largest charity organization.

Joanna Najfeld reports

"Nothing can replace love" was the motto of a symposium organized jointly by Caritas Polska and the theological faculty of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw.

One of the guests was the President of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes. Christian charity organizations are different from secular ones in that they focus on the love of neighbor in addition to material help:

'As Christians, we have to be aware of the gift of Love that we have within the Church. We have to remember that charity campaigns, though always very important, do not always involve this gift of Love. You cannot help dying people by offering them money or food. You have to talk to them about eternal life, so they have hope in their last moments of life.'

Jerzy Maślanka, who runs a Caritas shelter for the homeless confirms that the Christian, spiritual dimension of help is as important for people in need as is material help. 'Initially, when people come to our center, they need material help - warm accommodation, meals and clean clothes. But with time - even after a few days - they start searching for spiritual stabilization. And you can watch them evolve, as they are beginning to discover peace and a sense in their lives,' Maslanka said.

Anna Remiszewska works for Caritas in the south eastern town of Drohiczyn. She used to be a volunteer in the past. Helping people is beneficial to both sides, she stresses: 'It is an important thing to help people, to give your heart away to other people. It is necessary and it comes back to us. Getting involved in the Church charity makes you more spiritual, richer in experience and more sensitive to human suffering.'

Christian charity is rooted both in the Old Testament orders to do good, as well as in the Commandment of Love, said participants of the Caritas symposium. That's why for Christians charity is an obligation, said deputy head of Caritas Polska Father Zbigniew Świniarski: 'As Saint Jacob says, faith without deeds is dead. So every Christian is obliged to get involved in helping other people. It does not have to mean becoming an official volunteer of Caritas. But you must not forget that there are people around you who need our help. Not just material help. Sometimes it's just about spending time with people who need it. Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" says we must not forget about loving and respecting our neighbors.'

Caritas is Poland's largest charity organization, says Katarzyna Sekuła of Caritas Polska: 'We are present in 44 diocesan offices. We employ as many as 4500 employees and we have over 70 thousand volunteers that work daily in Caritas institutions. So there are over one thousand social institutions run by Caritas. We are present through parishes and parish volunteers. Volunteers also gather at schools.'

Caritas has branches in 162 countries. Organization members offer direct help to 24 million people a year in 200 countries and territories.