Caritas Oceania

Caritas Oceania is an Oceanian confederation of Catholic social, humanitarian, and relief organisations. It is one of the seven regional confederations of Caritas Internationalis members. Caritas Oceania consists of seven member organisations from across the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand.

2000s
In 2005, Caritas Oceania proposed that climate change should become the chief environmental justice focus of Caritas Internationalis.

In 2006, Caritas Oceania held a meeting in Wellington to discuss climate change, where they were addressed by New Zealand Minister of Energy and Climate Change Issues David Parker.

2010s
Beginning in 2014, Caritas Oceania published annual 'Caritas State of the Environment for Oceania' reports focussing on environmental issues throughout the Pacific, including climate change and its affects on Pacific communities.

2020s
In February 2021, Caritas Oceania president Sr Senolita Vakata passed away, and was replaced in March by Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga. The same year, Caritas Internationalis celebrated its 70th anniversary with a series of webinars focussing on different regions, including one for Caritas Oceania in which members spoke of the issues facing the region regarding environmental justice and gender equality.

In 2022, Caritas Oceania published a report entitled 'Twin Clouds on the Horizon' focussing on climate finance issues in the Pacific, and the interrelated threats of climate damage and debt faced by Pacific Island nations. The report was co-authored with Jubilee Australia Research Centre. In July 2022, Caritas Oceania sent a delegate to the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.