Abstract

Caritas in Italy, due to its ecclesial and civil functions, its widespread presence throughout the country, its active involvement of the population, and its effective collaboration with institutions, as well as the impact of its promoted activities, has gradually assumed an increasingly relevant role in the complex world of Italian religious welfare. Consistent with the magisterium of the Second Vatican Council, an interpretative key to this development lies in the relationship between charity, justice, and economy – the indissoluble link between the theology of charity, societal practices, and the materiality of individual and/or collective existence. This contribution reconstructs the particularity of the now fifty-year history of this ecclesial body, highlighting its innovative role and, at the same time, its function as a bridge between different worlds and cultures