Pope creates new Pontifical Committee for World Day of Children

By Devin Watkins

“A child’s gaze is filled with respect and openness to mystery, seeing what adults often fail to perceive.”

Pope Francis highlighted the importance of children in his Chirograph Establishing the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, released Wednesday.

He entrusted the new Pontifical Committee with the mission of “promoting, organizing and enlivening World Children’s Day”.

The Pope has appointed Fr. Enzo Fortunato, OFM Conv., as the first President of the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day.

Christians are called to become children of wonder

In his Chirograph, Pope Francis noted that the social status of children has changed significantly throughout human history.

“In Jesus’ day, children weren’t highly valued,” he said. “They were considered “not yet men” and were even seen as a nuisance by rabbis keen to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom.”

Jesus, the Pope added, reverses this mentality and urges his own disciples to imitate the wonder with which children approach life.

“Disciples,” said the Holy Father, “are called to grow in trust, abandonment, wonder and astonishment – ​​qualities that age and disillusionment often extinguish in humanity” .

Since children have been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, they too have inherent value in the current stage of their lives, not just for what they will bring to the Church and society in the future when they become adults,” he said.

“The family, the Church and the State exist for children, and not the other way around,” the Pope said. “From birth, every human being is subject to inalienable, inviolable and universal rights. »

Taking care of children, “a duty and an expression of charity”

Pope Francis then urged the Church to make children’s rights heard, as its duty and as an expression of charity.

Children, he said, need and have the right “to be recognized, welcomed and understood by their mothers, fathers and families, in order to have confidence; being surrounded by affection and experiencing emotional security, whether or not they live with their parents, discovering their identity; and have a name, family and nationality, as well as respect and a good reputation, enjoy emotional stability in their living and educational conditions.

World Children’s Day, he said, provides an opportunity to place children at the center of the Church’s pastoral action and to unite dioceses around the world in recognition of the importance children.

The Pope also said that the World Day helps children “to know, love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ in his role as Friend and Good Shepherd and to root their faith in the tradition of holy children that the Church cherishes.” as a spiritual heritage. .

Priority of children’s pastoral care

In conclusion, Pope Francis said the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day would prevent this annual event from becoming an isolated event.

According to him, World Children’s Day should instead become a sustained effort to ensure that “children’s pastoral care increasingly becomes a qualified priority in evangelical and pedagogical terms.”