By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-08 20:31:12 | Updated at 2025-01-09 11:40:19
15 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis spoke about the abuses of child labor in his Jan. 8 Wednesday Audience, stating that “the century that generates artificial intelligence and plans multiplanetary existences has not yet reckoned with the scourge of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood.”
According to Vatican News, the Pope plans on dedicating “two weekly catechesis” on the topic and said Christmas is an appropriate time to reflect on the status of children.
Pope Francis pointed to the Old Testament, where the word “son” is used nearly 5,000 times. “Children are a gift from God,” he stated, but “unfortunately, that gift is not always respected.”
He reflected that the Old Testament draws attention to the cries of victims.
“Think of how many children, today, are dying of thirst or hunger, or are torn apart by bombs,” he added.
The Pope then turned to the New Testament and the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, calling it a “dismal tragedy that repeats in other forms throughout history.” He added that because of the slaughter, the Holy Family experienced “the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign land, as still happens today to many people.”
Pope Francis then said that Jesus broke with the tradition of viewing children as objects when he told His Apostles, “Let the children come to me.” The Pope also pointed out that Jesus tells adults that they must become like children.
The Pope said Catholics cannot ignore the plight of children forced to work and added that Christians must not be indifferent.
“They cannot accept that our little sisters and brothers, instead of being loved and protected, are robbed of their childhood, of their dreams, victims of exploitation and marginalization,” he added.
Pope Francis concluded with a prayer that “every boy and every girl might be able to grow in age, wisdom and grace, receiving and giving love.”
