In his meeting with the pilgrims in the Paul VI Hall, he recalled the millions of children exposed to dangerous activities despite their young age or who are kidnapped for organ transplants. Closeness to the population of Kachin State, in Myanmar, where landslides have wreaked death and destruction. “Let us pray for the conversion of the hearts of the arms manufacturers.”
Vatican City () – “No minor should suffer abuse. Even one case is too many,” Pope Francis denounced again today in the Wednesday audience, which took place in the Paul VI Hall. With his voice still congested by the cold, the pontiff personally delivered his reflection which, as he announced last week, during this Christmas season is dedicated to children “those most loved by the Lord.” But, “even today, in the world – the Pontiff recalled – hundreds of millions of minors are forced to work, even if they are not of the minimum age to fulfill the obligations of an adult, and many of them are exposed to particularly dangerous jobs. Not to mention children who are victims of trafficking for prostitution or pornography, and forced marriages.”
Francisco focused especially on the scourge of child labor: “I know a country in Latin America (Colombia, ed.) – he said improvisedly outside of the written text – where a special, very special fruit called blueberries grows. To harvest blueberries you need tender hands, and they force children to do it, they enslave them from a young age to do the picking.” “Generalized poverty, the lack of social tools to help families, the marginality that has increased in recent years along with unemployment and job insecurity – commented the Pope – are factors that make the hardest price fall on the little ones.” high to pay. In metropolises, where social disparity and moral degradation are increasingly serious, there are children employed in drug trafficking and in the most diverse illicit activities. How many of these children have we seen fall as sacrificial victims!
He then told the story of Loan Danilo Peña, a five-year-old boy from the province of Corrientes, in northern Argentina, who has not been heard from since last June. “He was kidnapped and no one knows where he is,” commented the pontiff. And one of the hypotheses is that they took him to extract organs, to perform transplants. And this happens. You already know it. This happens! Some come back with a scar, others die. That’s why I would like to remember this little guy today, Loan. It is difficult for us to recognize – Francisco added – the social injustice that leads two children, who perhaps live in the same neighborhood or apartment block, to take diametrically opposite paths and destinations, because one of them was born into a disadvantaged family. An unacceptable human and social fracture: between those who can dream and those who must succumb. But Jesus wants us all free and happy.
Faced with these widespread pests, what can I do? “First of all – responded the pontiff – we should recognize that, if we want to eradicate child labor, we cannot be its accomplices. And when are we? For example, when we buy products that use child labor. How can I eat and “Get dressed knowing that behind that food or those clothes there are exploited children, who work instead of going to school? Becoming aware of what we buy is a first act to not be complicit.” institutions, including those of the Church, and companies, their responsibility: “they can make a difference by directing their investments to companies that do not use or allow child labor,” Francis said, and also reminded journalists “to do their part: They can help raise awareness of the problem and help find solutions. Don’t be afraid: report these things.”
Finally, he recalled the example of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, “mother of the most disadvantaged and forgotten children”, and cited a prayer in which she gave them voice: “I ask for the right to be a child – she wrote -, to be hope of a better world. I ask to be able to grow as a person. Can I count on you?
At the end of the catechesis, the Pope wanted to express his closeness to the population of the State of Kachin, in Myanmar, where a landslide in the city of Hpakant, in a mining area, destroyed nearly fifty houses, leaving at least 12 people dead. and many others missing and caused considerable damage. “I am close to the population affected by this disaster – he said – “and I pray for those who lost their lives and for their families. May these brothers and sisters who are in difficulty not lack the help and solidarity of the international community.”
The Pope’s thoughts today also turned to Myanmar, along with Israel and Palestine, to the tormented Ukraine and Sudan, remembering the countries at war, for which he urged them to continue praying for peace. “War is always a defeat,” he insisted, and invited today to pray especially “for the conversion of the hearts of weapons manufacturers, because with their products they help to kill.”
Finally, today there was a moment of celebration in the Paul VI Hall when the artists of a circus that is currently in Rome performed briefly in front of the Pope and the pilgrims. “Circus work is human work, an art, that requires a lot of effort,” Francisco said, praising his show.
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