This weekend marks the first World Children’s Day, strongly desired by the pontiff. Bishop Martinelli met with a group of children, answering his questions and inviting them to put “their joy and enthusiasm” at the service of the Church. A meeting of a hundred young people was held in Hong Kong to share experiences and expectations.
Dubai () – A “completely new” event and a “wonderful initiative” fruit of the “beautiful idea” of Pope Francis that “makes us feel united with all the children of the world.” This is underlined by Monsignor Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen), in a message published on the occasion of the first World Children’s Day scheduled for the weekend in Rome. “With this celebration – explains the prelate in the note sent to – we want above all to celebrate all the children of the world and thank God for the gift of their lives. “We want to pray and work” so that they can have “a serene childhood” in which they “study and play in peace.” He directs his thoughts to those who live “in areas where there is no peace” and asks them to pray so that they “live happily” and free from the fear of bombs.
“With this celebration, the Pope – continues Monsignor Martinelli – wants to remind everyone that we are children. We are always children, sons and daughters. To exist means to be wanted and loved. It is sad that we forget it when we grow up and become adults. We must never forget that to be adults, to be fathers and mothers, we must never stop being children in our hearts, sure of being loved. In concluding his message, the prelate recalled the theme of the day “Behold, I make all things new.” “, stressing that children “are a continuous novelty and help us renew the world every day with the love of God.”
On May 25 and 26, the first World Children’s Day is scheduled to be held in Rome, strongly desired by Pope Francis to put the little ones “at the center of reality” following the example of Jesus, because that they are like them “belong to the kingdom of God” as the pontiff himself said. An event that will take place between the Olympic Stadium and St. Peter’s Square, organized under the sponsorship of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, directed by Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça. Today is the first meeting in the capital’s stadium, where tens of thousands of children (also from war zones such as Gaza, Ukraine and Syria) will meet the Pope, during moments of sport – including a match between children and soccer players. international – and spirituality. Tomorrow, the feast of the Holy Trinity, they will gather in St. Peter’s Square for the mass celebrated by Francis, followed by a monologue by Roberto Benigni at the end of the Regina Coeli.
To mark the day, the Vicariate of South Arabia promoted a series of initiatives, including video presentations (in English and Arab) and a meeting with a group of children, children of migrant workers like the vast majority of the faithful in the region. Monsignor Martinelli responded to a series of questions (click here to see the video), which covered various topics, from faith to everyday life. “You children,” responded the prelate, are “very important” also for adults because “you are the future,” you are the “hope of humanity” and “when we look at you we are happy.” He recalled that he was “nervous” when he arrived at the vicariate two years ago, but now “I feel much better”, also because thanks to being a bishop “I am never alone” but rather “I am always among the people, the children and I am very happy when “I can talk to them.”
Continuing the dialogue, Bishop Martinelli stressed that “we can always learn many things from children. First of all, to continue being children in our hearts. What does it mean to be a child? It means that we are loved, we are without distinction, we are welcomed […] “We feel chosen and loved by God forever.” Asked about his childhood memories, the prelate answers that the “best” is “when I started praying with my parents and siblings at the end of each day before going to sleep.” And to the question of how a child can serve the Church, he concludes by saying: “Let children be children. With his joy, his enthusiasm.
In recent days, initiatives for World Day have also been held in other Churches in Asia, such as the diocese of Hong Kong, which on May 18 brought together a hundred children from various schools and parishes in the church of Saint Thomas the Apostle Tsing Yi. An initiative promoted by the Diocesan Vocations Commission, the Diocesan Youth Commission, the Diocesan Catechetical Center, the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity and Home for Greenery, a lay group for children from marginalized families.
The children were divided into 14 groups to talk about their ideal school, parish and family under the guidance of teachers and catechists in a 40-minute discussion, and then presented their views on stage to Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing. Among those who spoke was Marcus Kwong, 12, a student at Yaumati Catholic Primary School [Hoi Wang Road]: He said he hoped parishes would organize more pilgrimages abroad to encourage greater participation and provide confessionals in a more private place in the parish. Next, Gabriella Tang, an 11-year-old delegate who will represent Hong Kong in Rome on World Children’s Day, shared her hopes for a harmonious family.
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