“There are children who have been injured in body and mind by wars, and other innocent victims of the mindless hatred of adults. There are street children who are denied the warmth of family life and left to themselves, and minors profaned by sordid individuals who wish to violate their innocence, inflicting psychological wounds which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Nor must we forget the countless minors who die of thirst, hunger and lack of healthcare, and the young exiles who emigrate from their own land with their parents in search of better living conditions.”
The children caught in these deplorable circumstances “raise a silent cry of pain that appeals to our conscience as human beings and believers,” the Pope writes, adding that it is the “duty of the Christian community to intervene in such dramatic circumstances.”
"Daily dedication and ceaseless commitment in the service of sick children are an eloquent testimony of love for human life, especially for the lives of the weak and of those entirely dependent upon others,” the Holy Father continues. “Though time may pass, the teaching incessantly proclaimed by the Church remains unchanged: human life is beautiful and must be lived to the full even when it is weak and enveloped by the mystery of suffering."