P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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INTENTION : |
That children may be respected and loved and never be the victims of exploitation in its various forms.
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Almost on a daily basis we see distressing images of the great refugee camps in different conflict areas of the world on our TVs. We are horrified by the sight of teeming numbers of famished children with their people. It cannot be imagined that these children have come into the world with no hope of proper upbringing, education or legitimate expectations of happiness? Are they not entitled to live and grow as children and adolescents in a stable, serene and secure environment?
The Christian community has a particular obligation to care for these unfortunate children, who if not loved and respected will become victims of exploitation by unscrupulous persons. To these vulnerable children the Kingdom of heaven belongs (cf. Mt 19:14), yet so often they are simply forgotten or shamelessly exploited for unhealthy purposes.
As the Christian community prepares for Christmas let us also be mindful of the multitude of children caught up in endless wars in some countries. Torn from their families they usually end up fighting in battle fields, or are obliged to carry arms, loot, burn, kill and mutilate their own people in their villages. While it is true that much is being done for them, even greater commitment is still needed to help them in their formative years. No effort should be spared to urge civil authorities and the international community to fight these abuses and to offer young children the legal protection they justly deserve.
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