Vatican City, May 30, 2015 / 11:16 am
"Why do children suffer?" Pope Francis asked this of a group of children with serious illnesses or disabilities and their parents, some of whom had been told to abort their babies because of their condition.
The Holy Father answered with a question he might ask God while gazing at the Cross: "Why is Your Son there?"
"It is the mystery of the Cross," he said.
The pontiff made these remarks during a meeting on Friday evening with the children in the chapel of the Vatican's Santa Marta residence. They were accompanied by the parents, as well as volunteers from Unitalsi Lazio -- a national Italian organization that transports the sick to Lourdes, France and other international shrines.