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Illustration: Christ with children by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834–1890)
Pope Francis General Audience on “Children’
Audience Hall – Wednesday, 8 January 2025
“Think of how many children, today, are dying of hunger and poverty, or torn apart by bombs”
Luke 18:15-17
People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
” too many children forced to work “
“a child who does not dream cannot know or nurture his or her talents”
Dear brothers and sisters,
I wish to dedicate this and the next catechesis to children, and to reflect in particular on the scourge of child labor.
Today we want to visualize Mars or towards virtual worlds, but we find it hard to look into the eyes of a child who has been marginalized, exploited or abused.
The century that creates artificial intelligence and plans multiplanetary existences has not yet reckoned with the scourge of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood.
Let us reflect about this.
First of all, let us ask ourselves: what message does Scripture give us about children?
It is curious to note that the word that appears most frequently in the Old Testament, after the divine name of Jahweh, is the word ben, that is, “son”: almost five thousand times.
“Certainly, sons (ben) are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward” (Ps 127:3).
Children are a gift from God. Unfortunately, this gift is not always treated with respect.
The Bible itself leads us through the streets of history where there are songs of joy, but also the cries of victims.
In the book of Lamentations, we read: “The infant’s tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth in thirst; children beg for bread, but no one gives them a piece” (4:4).
The prophet Nahum, recalling what had happened in the ancient cities of Thebes and Nineveh, writes: “Even their little ones were torn to pieces at the corners of every street” (3:10).
Think of how many children, today, are dying of hunger and poverty, or torn apart by bombs.
The tempest of Herod’s violence, which slaughters the children of Bethlehem, erupted immediately even on the newborn Jesus. A dark tragedy that would be repeated in other forms throughout history.
And here, for Jesus and his parents, is the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign land, as still happens today to many people, to many children.
(Mt 2:13-18 – Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:).
Once the storm had passed, Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a village never mentioned in the Old Testament.
He learned the carpenter’s trade from His legal father, Joseph (cf. Mk 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?”; Mt 13:55 – Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren[a] James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?). In this way, “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him” (Lk 2:40).
In his public life, Jesus and his disciples went from village to village preaching. One day some mothers approached him and presented their children to him for blessing, but the disciples rebuked him. So Jesus, breaking with the tradition of treating children as passive objects, called the disciples to him and said: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. And he points to the little ones as a model for the adults. And he adds solemnly: “I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Lk 18:16-17).
In a similar passage, Jesus calls to a child, places him among HIS disciples, and says: “Unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).
And then He cautions: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Mt 18:6).
Brothers and sisters, disciples of Jesus Christ must never allow children to be neglected or abused, to be deprived of their rights, to be unloved or protected.
Christians have the duty to seriously prevent and strongly condemn violence or abuse against children.
Even Today there are too many children forced to work.
But a child who does not smile, a child who does not dream cannot know or develop his or her talents.
In every part of the world there are children who are exploited by an economy that does not respect life; an economy that, in so doing, consumes our greatest store of hope and love.
But children have a special place in God’s heart, and whoever harms a child will have to answer to Him.
Dear brothers and sisters, those who recognize themselves as children of God, and especially those who are sent to bring the good news of the Gospel to others. They cannot remain indifferent.
They cannot accept that our little sisters and brothers, instead of being loved and protected, are deprived of their childhood, of their dreams, and become victims of exploitation and marginalization.
Let us ask the Lord to open our minds and hearts to care and tenderness, so that each boy and girl may grow in age, wisdom and grace (cf. Lk 2:52 =Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature,[a] and in favor with God and man), receiving and giving love. Thank you.
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Summary of the Holy Father’s words:
Dear brothers and sisters:
In these last catecheses of the Christmas season, I would like to reflect in a special way on children, their dignity and their well-being
Our world, which can peer into the depths of space, is often blind to the desperate needs of innocent children all around us who are suffering from abject poverty, exploitation and abuse.
The Gospels reveal Jesus’ special love for children, whom he holds up as a model for all those who would enter the kingdom of heaven.
As his disciples, we are called to make every effort to ensure that children are not robbed of their childhood and their dreams, especially by the brutality of war and the scourge of child labor.
As we begin this Jubilee Year under the sign of hope, let us pray that every child in our world may come to experience love, freedom, security and the promise of a dignified future.
