Love is in the air…
Date Published: 10 Feb 2026
Do you know someone who would enjoy this article?
Kath, who leads our formation and animation team at Caritas, looks at the true meaning of love – and how we can put it into action this February, and beyond…
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the shops are filled with cards and gifts to express our love for that special person in our life. It’s all about romantic love. There are many types of love, however, and some languages have a different word to express each different type of love. The English language has only one word – love – to cover the whole range.
The Latin word caritas also means a type of love. Caritas is not the romantic Valentine’s Day sort of love but means charitable love for humankind, or love in action.Caritas is far deeper than simple kindness or charitable giving. It’s the kind of self-giving love that reflects God’s own love for humanity. It’s love that extends from the heart into the streets, communities and places where people are experiencing the impact of poverty in its many forms. Caritas is the kind of love which brings hope to those who cannot see a future.
Catholic social teaching (CST) provides a helpful framework for how we can put caritas – love – into action.
It’s key principles, including: the dignity of the human person, solidarity and the common good, preferential option for the poor and subsidiarity are all expressions of caritas. CST helps us to recognise that love is not just a feeling but a shared social responsibility. It requires us to participate in shaping our communities and building a more just society so that every person is treated with equal dignity and can flourish.
In our charity we witness love daily throughout our services – every time a staff member offers a listening ear, when a community stands alongside people who are feeling forgotten, when a person who once accessed our services returns as a volunteer. When caritas – love – turns into action, hope then becomes a reality.
