Pope Francis denounces child exploitation: Children are a gift from God

Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis at the first General Audience of 2025 to reflecting on children and the “plague of child labor.”

Before the faithful gathered in the Paul VI hall of the Vatican, the Holy Father lamented that currently “we are tired of seeing in the eyes of a child who has been left on the sidelines and who is exploited and abused.”

The century that creates artificial intelligence, the Pontiff continued, “does not even take into account the wound of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood,” he added.

Next, he noted that the word that appears most in the Old Testament after the name Yahweh, es benwhich means “son.”

In this context, he specified that “children are a gift from God”, which unfortunately “is not always treated with respect.”

He recalled in this sense “the storm of Herod’s violence” that broke out on the newborn Jesus, massacring the children of Bethlehem. “A dark drama that is repeated in other ways in history.”

He also noted that Jesus and his parents then lived “the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign country, as happens to many people and so many children today.”

In his public life, Jesus broke the tradition “that considered the child only as a passive object,” by telling his disciples: “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; Indeed, the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like them.”

Likewise, Pope Francis recalled when Jesus called a child, placed him among the disciples and said: “If you do not convert and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Holy Father denounced that today “there are too many children forced to work” and highlighted that “a child who does not smile and dream will not be able to know or let his talents flourish.”

“Everywhere on earth there are children exploited by an economy that does not respect life; an economy that, in doing so, burns our greatest deposit of hope and love,” he stressed.

He urged not to remain indifferent to this situation and not to accept “that little brothers, instead of being loved and protected, are stripped of their childhood, of their dreams, victims of exploitation and marginalization.”

Finally, he asked the Lord “to open our minds and hearts to care and tenderness, and that every boy and girl in the world can grow in age, wisdom and grace, receiving and giving love.”

A circus show in the Vatican

At the end of their catechism, the 60 members of the CirCAfrica circus company, from different African nations, starred in a show prepared especially for Pope Francis.

“The circuses have the mission of making us laugh and do good things. “I thank you very much,” said the Pontiff after enjoying the performance.

Later, the Pontiff recalled that once Christmas is over, “the Church invites each baptized person to reflect on the light” in their lives.

At the end of the audience, as usual, he asked the faithful not to forget to pray for peace, especially “for Ukraine, Nazareth and Israel” and for all countries at war. “Let us not forget that war is always, always, a defeat,” he concluded.