Children write to the Pope

A small wooden cross with a child on it with open arms and a smiling face: “you must always smile, even when you’re suffering”. This is the gift and the message that Vasile, 11, an orphan child from the Moldovan Republic, will hand over on September 4 to Pope Francis on behalf of all the children of Europe who live in suburban, run-down areas and are often the victims of abandonment, violence and poverty. Vasile – who lives in the foster home “Regina Pacis” in Chisinau (click here) – was chosen as the “ambassador of children”, with the task of personally handing over to the Pope a rebound collection of drawings and messages for the Pope written by children living in the suburbs of European cities in all 38 member countries of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). “The children of Europe speak to Pope Francis” is the title of the volume. The youngest author is 5-yeear-old Joseph from Greece. The majority of the young authors are aged 5 to 11. “I pray for you”, “I love you”. The children’s letters and drawings are a truthful “anthology of the peripheries of Europe” and thus they are in perfect harmony with “the ongoing appeals by Pope Francis to travel all the way to the existential peripheries of humanity to proclaim the Gospel of joy and hope”. There’s the story of Vasile who wrote to the Pope: “My mother is no longer here, because bad people have been mean to her”. Clément, 8 year-old from Rennes (France) a good scout, made a map for the pope: “an invitation to France for Pope Francis”, Clément drew the route for the Pope so he may come and visit his country. Jef is 10; his mother is from the Philippines and his father is Dutch. They all live together in Chaam, Holland. In his drawing for the Pope Jef expresses his concern for the Creation and for the poor, along with his love for football. Young Dominika, 6, from Warsaw, conveys to the Pope the joy of expecting a little brother, while from Turkey Daniela, 12, writes to Francis: “I pray for you. I look forward to your visit to Istanbul so we may receive the Eucharist together. I love you”. Children’s hopes should never be betrayed. “Many of these children – CCEE vice-general secretary Fr Michel Remery told SIR – come from difficult backgrounds, from slums, from situation of poverty and abandonment. In spite of this their drawings convey authentic joy, faith in the future, a great love for the Pope. These children are an example for all of us, as we feel overburdened by our worries. They show us that children are capable of cherishing hope in the future, of trusting others, people near them, and that they believe in life and in God”. European children will thus be the spokespersons of all those children in the world who are victims of wars, especially Syrian children. “Children – confirmed Fr Remery – are the most vulnerable. That’s why we wanted them to express to the Pope a small token of friendship and closeness and send an appeal to us adults, that we may take care of them and ensure that they grow up in a world full of love”. “These children – continues the CCEE representative -nourish great, rightful hopes, as it is just to be hopeful: despite the ordeals that the world is facing, our world is guided by the love of God. They tell us that long before changing something in Europe, we should reflect on how all of us living in Europe can change, and try to see Europe with the eyes of a child, with their very simplicity and hopefulness and many possibilities will open up that we previously hadn’t seen”. The look of love. “Many of these children – pointed out Msgr. Ðuro Hranic, Archbishop of Ðakovo-Osijek (Croatia) – come from very difficult family situations and households which they live with hope in the future, for they know that they are seen with love, a love that is present in those who welcomed them with open arms as well as in the difficulties that reflect the true love of Christ. As we are looked up by these children our responsibility is to educate the next generations not to loose children’s ability to see life with a glance that is filled with wonder”.