Pope dedicates catechesis to 'scourge' of child labour

By Christopher Wells

Christmas is an appropriate time to reflect on the status of children, Pope Francis said at the General Audience, explaining that he was dedicating two weekly catechesis in particular to the “scourge” of child labour.

He lamented that “the century that generates artificial intelligence and plans multiplanetary existences has not yet reckoned with the scourge of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood.”

Pope Francis at the weekly General Audience

Looking first to the Scriptures, the Holy Father noted that the word “son” appears in the Old Testament almost 5,000 times. “Children are a gift from God,” he said, quoting the psalms, but “unfortunately, that gift is not always respected.” Throughout history, the Old Testament shows not only “songs of joy” but also “the cries of victims”: “Think of how many children, today, are dying of thirst or hunger, or are torn apart by bombs.”

Turning to the New Testament, Pope Francis recalled the slaughter of the innocents by Herod at the birth of Christ: “a dismal tragedy that repeats in other forms throughout history.” Jesus, with Mary his mother and Saint Joseph are forced to experience “the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign land, as still happens today to many people.”

When, during His public ministry, children are brought to Jesus, He breaks with the tradition that considered children “simply objects” and tells His disciples to let the children come to Him. Even more, the Pope said, Jesus proposes children as a model for adults to emulate.”

The General Audience in the Paul VI Hall

Highlighting the plight of the “too many” children forced to work and exploited by an economy “that does not respect life,” Pope Francis said, “those who recognize themselves as children of God cannot remain 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.”

Pope Francis ended his catechesis with the prayer that God might “open our minds and hearts to care and tenderness,” and that “every boy and every girl might be able to grow in age, wisdom and grace, receiving and giving love.”