Pope Francis to Meet Thousands of Children from Around the World in Rome

Pope Francis in May will meet thousands of children arriving in Rome from different parts of the world. "Dear girls and boys, one cannot be happy alone, because joy grows to the extent that it is shared: it is born with gratitude for the gifts we have received and which we in turn share with others. When we keep what we have received to ourselves, or even throw tantrums to have this or that gift, we actually forget that the greatest gift is ourselves, one for the other: we are God's gift." The first World Children's Day (set for May 25 and 26) is approaching, and the organizational machinery of the Catholic movements has been set in motion to bring an army of little guests beyond the Tiber. Francis has sent them a message to remind that in the world everyone should be considered brothers and sisters and that children are a joy for humanity. Thoughts then went to children in difficulty, because of war, illness, orphanhood, victims of violence or other forms of slavery. "All those children whose childhood is still being cruelly stolen today," he says, entrusting them with an "important secret: To be truly happy one must pray, pray a lot, every day, because prayer directly connects us to God. In May we will meet in great numbers in Rome. So, to prepare well, I recommend that you pray using the same words that Jesus taught us: the Our Father." At the press conference today were present Father Enzo Fortunato, coordinator of the World Children's Day, Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Aldo Cagnoli, Stella Cervogni, foreign delegations manager of the event, Marco Mezzaroma, president of Sport e Salute, and Gianluigi Buffon, head of the National Football Team delegation. Some time ago, the president of the Community of Sant'Egidio explained that in May children from various war zones ("not only Catholics, who will be given a special welcome") will also participate, all hosted in the Peace Schools of the Community. There will also be children hosted by the Auxilium Cooperative and those who arrived through humanitarian corridors. Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, Haiti, South Sudan, Colombia, Mozambique, Nigeria, some of the countries of origin of the children, a representation of whom will also come from Palestine and Israel. Many of them are of the Islamic faith. Father Fortunato at the last press conference had added that the target of the invited children ranges from 6 to 12 years old. All will gather to spend days in the presence of Pope Francis. Naturally, there will also be shows and games with artists.