Short answers, pulled from the story.
An almoner is a chaplain or church officer originally responsible for distributing money to the deserving poor. The role was employed by popes, bishops, Christian monarchs, and organizations to manage charitable donations to those in need. The position carried considerable status in ecclesiastical and royal households.
The word almoner derives from the Greek eleēmosynē, meaning alms, passing through popular Latin as almosinarius before entering English. Alms itself shares the same Greek root.
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski has held the post of Almoner of His Holiness since late 2013. Since June 2022, he heads the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, a formal administrative unit of the Roman Curia, rather than serving as a member of the papal household.
The Lord High Almoner is a royal office that still exists in the United Kingdom today. The holder organizes the ceremony of the Crown's annual distribution of Maundy money. Associated with this office is the hereditary title of grand almoner, held by the Marquess of Exeter.
Lady almoners worked in United Kingdom hospitals from 1895 to 1948, assessing patients' ability to contribute toward the cost of their own medical care. Their role evolved over time to encompass patient welfare and aftercare. This position is considered the direct forerunner of the modern profession of medical social work.
King Francis I created the position of Grand Almoner of France, known formally as the Grand aumônier de France, within the French royal household.