Pope Leo XIV laments lack of progress in protecting children

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday voiced deep concern at a “lack of progress in protecting children from danger” as he met with the organizing committee of the initiative “From Crisis to Care: Catholic Action for Children.”

Addressing participants gathered to advance proposals stemming from last year’s International Summit on Children’s Rights, convened by Pope Francis, Leo said: “It is indeed a tragedy that the children and youth of our world, the ones Jesus wanted to come to him, are so often deprived of care and access to the basic necessities of life.”

He added that children “frequently have few opportunities for achieving their God-given potential” and warned that the situation “has not improved during the past year.”

“One must question whether global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside when we see in our global human family that so many children still live in extreme poverty, suffer abuse, and are forcibly displaced, not to mention that they lack proper education and are isolated or separated from their families,” the pope said.

Leo recalled Pope Francis’ teaching in Amoris Laetitia on the child’s “right to receive love from a mother and a father; both are necessary for a child’s integral and harmonious development” and urged continued defense of “the profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished and of the family as its responsible guardian.”

He thanked participants for advocating for children, telling them: “First, you are speaking on behalf of those who have no voice. This is a truly noble task.” Acknowledging discouragement that can come from “failed initiatives” or “seeming lack of interest,” he encouraged them: “Let the good you know you are doing carry you forward.”

The pope also emphasized the need to address children’s “transversal needs,” which “can easily go unnoticed when care is focused on just one area of need.” He noted the committee members’ varied charisms and specializations, while urging greater collaboration “so that children receive care that is well balanced, taking into consideration their physical, psychological, and spiritual welfare.”

Leo said several Vatican bodies and religious superiors’ unions are accompanying the effort, and he encouraged participants “to develop concrete steps and action plans to address the transversal needs of children.”

In closing, he recalled Pope Francis’ insistence on listening to children and cited a message presented to Francis at last year’s summit: “Together with you, we want to cleanse the world of bad things, color it with friendship and respect, and help you build a beautiful future for everyone!”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.