Topics of coins
30th Anniversary of the Reactivation of Caritas Poland
In 2020–2021, we are celebrating the 30th
anniversary of the reactivation of Caritas
Poland. The organisation was reactivated
pursuant to the Decree of the Polish Episcopal
Conference of 10 October 1990 as an institution
drawing inspiration from the charitable and
social activities conducted in Poland in the past,
which were interrupted during the reign of the
Communist regime.
Caritas Poland is a pastoral charitable institution
of the Catholic Church and the largest social
welfare and charitable organisation in Poland.
It provides professional, multidimensional aid to
people who suffer from exclusion and poverty
and go through life with various sorts of deficits.
Acting as their voice and advocate, Caritas
Poland draws on the clearly defined values of
the Gospel, which determine the criteria used
to assess social reality as well as the principles
of proper conduct: the common good, solidarity,
and love.
The activities of Caritas Poland are focused
on people in need, who are provided with
material, psychological, and spiritual help. The
organisation particularly supports families,
children and adolescents, seniors, disabled
people, the homeless, people suffering from
addictions, prison leavers, migrants, and
refugees.
Additionally, Caritas Poland is active in the field of
education and raising public awareness, and also
provides humanitarian and developmental aid on
all continents. The organisation also represents
45 diocesan Caritas centres located throughout
Poland, supporting them in the performance
of their tasks. Caritas Poland is a member of
the Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa
confederations, and also cooperates with the
Vatican-based Dicastery for Promoting Integral
Human Development.
The obverse of the coin carries a depiction of
the Good Samaritan helping the attacked and
wounded traveller and a quote from the Gospel of St Matthew (Mt 7:20) in the Polish and Latin
language versions.
The reverse of the coin features the jubilee
logotype of Caritas Poland and an inscription
announcing the 30th anniversary of the
institution’s reactivation
Urszula Bejma, PhD