In the inaugural address at the World Meeting on Children’s Rights at the Vatican on Monday February 3, Pope Frances says nothing is more precious than the life of a child “To kill children is to deny the future”  

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis delivered a powerful call to action on Monday morning, addressing world leaders, religious representatives, and advocates gathered for the inaugural session of the World Meeting on Children’s Rights, held in the Vatican. The summit, entitled “Love Them and Protect Them”, aims to bring attention to the ongoing crisis faced by children across the globe and explore strategies for the safeguarding of their rights. Participants included Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan, Rabbi David Rosen, Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.   

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was represented by Secretary Bishop Luis Manuel Ali Herrera, who attended the summit held in the Clementine Hall and gave the following comment:  

“We cannot stand by while children across the globe endure such suffering: safeguarding them is our sacred duty.”   

In his opening remarks, Pope Francis expressed gratitude to the participants for their commitment to the cause and emphasized the urgent need for global collaboration in order to protect children who are often marginalized or exploited, highlighting the dire situation faced by millions worldwide.  

“Even today, too often the lives of millions of children are marked by poverty, war, lack of schooling, injustice, and exploitation. Children and adolescents in poorer countries, or those torn apart by tragic conflicts, are forced to endure terrible trials.”  

The Pope also highlighted the great difficulties faced by children and adolescents in wealthier nations such as anxiety, depression, and the challenges of a fragmented society – a culture of efficiency marginalizing childhood itself to the “periphery” of existence. 

The theme of violence against children, particularly in conflict zones was addressed. Pope Francis condemned the death of children caught in the crossfire of war, calling it “unacceptable” and a denial of the future.  He described the use of minors in combat, as well as the violence perpetrated by criminal gangs, resulting in children becoming orphaned and further marginalized from society.  

“Nothing is worth the life of a child,” Pope Francis stated, emphasizing that the loss of innocent lives in violent conflicts or through systemic neglect is a moral crisis. “To kill children is to deny the future.” 

Attention was drawn to those children who find themselves in an undocumented “limbo” — those who have never been registered at birth and therefore lack access to education, healthcare, or legal protection. He cited the plight of the Rohingya children and unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border as examples of this alarming issue. 

The Pope concluded the summit by pledging to release an apostolic Exhortation for the children and by calling on the participants to dedicate themselves to ensuring that every child regains hope in the future, of making children understand that they are the hope.