Msgr. Klaus Krämer, president of Missio, the German Catholic mission organization of the Pontifical Mission Societies, visited the New York offices of CNEWA this morning. A longtime collaborator with Msgr. Kozar, Msgr. Krämer was in the United States to meet with other Catholic agencies and help build what he called “Catholic solidarity.” He expressed his appreciation for his work with Msgr. Kozar — “We have a very good partnership,” he said — and spoke of a desire to consolidate efforts and build a worldwide network of charities devoted to serving the poor in Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Describing the work of Missio, Msgr. Krämer put it simply: “We invest in people.” Missio supports numerous programs and projects. One annual program, “Three Kings,” involves children caroling throughout Germany during the first week of January to raise money for poor children in the regions Missio serves. This immensely popular project raised €42 million last year. You can learn more about Missio — one of the oldest mission societies in the world, founded in 1822 — by visiting its UK website.
Msgr. Krämer himself has a colorful background. He was a lawyer before becoming a priest and served for several years as secretary to Cardinal Walter Kasper, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. (Among other things, Msgr. Krämer is editing the writings of Cardinal Kasper and, while in New York, plans to meet with several publishers.)
When I asked him to sum up his organization’s message, Msgr. Krämer paused and thought for a moment.
“The Gospel is alive,” he said. “The church is not only a question of life in a parish, life in a country, it’s part of an international network. This is like a global village. The Catholic Church is one of the oldest and biggest global players. And this network of churches is something very unique. And it’s a challenge for us, as Catholics, to be in contact and to help. But it’s also a source that can encourage us in our own faith.
“We can see how alive the church is in other parts of the world and how they are dealing with their challenges, their problems. So we are not only giving. We are also receiving a lot from them. This is important for the life of the church. And it’s important for the whole world.”