Pope Francis on Monday urged the public to promote the “culture of care” to address the grave issue of child abuse that concerns humanity.
The pope stressed that the issue should not be exclusive to the Church but also a collective responsibility of society.
“It must also be a significant work for society so that the steps and achievements of the Church in this path can be an incentive for other institutions to promote this culture of care,” Pope Francis said.
The Pope emphasized that the Church’s approach to combating this scourge goes beyond mere protocol, as it is also “entrusted to Jesus in prayer.”
Pope Francis issued this call during his address to a delegation from the Latin American Research and Training Commission for the Protection of Minors.
The pope underscored the strides made by the Church in combatting this issue while urging continued efforts to safeguard vulnerable individuals.
Pope Francis stated that the cases of abuse within the Church serve as a somber reminder of a wider problem affecting humanity as a whole, which often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
“The abuses that have affected the Church are but a pale reflection of a sad reality that involves all of humanity and to which the necessary attention is not paid,” said the pontiff.
He drew a poignant parallel between the suffering endured by abused children and other vulnerable individuals and the suffering of Christ himself.
He cited the example of St. Christopher de La Guardia, known as the “martyr child,” celebrated by the Church in Spain on September 25.
“How the world would change,” he remarked, “if we saw in the suffering of every child, of every vulnerable person, a trait imprinted in the veil with which Veronica wiped the face of Christ!”
The pontiff urged everyone to pray for the conversion of those who commit these heinous crimes, invoking the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. He encouraged them to see in their victims “the eyes of Jesus” and seek forgiveness and redemption.
