Through his twitter account (@pontifex), Pope Francis has noted the gift that a child with Down syndrome, and every child, is to his or her family. World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21; the date is a reference to how the syndrome is caused by an extra copy of the 21st chromosome.
The pope’s tweet notes how a new life is connected not just to the woman who carries the child within her, but to all the members of the family – grandparents and siblings, particularly.
Every child who a woman expects in her womb is a gift that changes a family’s history: the life of fathers and mothers, grandparents and of brothers and sisters. That child needs to be welcomed, loved and nurtured. Always! #WorldDownSyndromeDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 21, 2021
This year, the Vatican officially recognized the heroic virtues of Jérôme Lejeune (1926-1994). He now will be referred to as Venerable Jérôme Lejeune. He was the Catholic physician and geneticist who was responsible for scientifically explaining Down Syndrome.
Read more:
Jerome Lejeune, remembered by one of his students
Read more:
15 Children with Down syndrome send a message of hope
Enjoy this slideshow of tender encounters showing the special love Pope Francis has for people with Down syndrome.
