Pope Francis’ tour through St. Peter’s Square on the popemobile was a little more joyous than usual for this Wednesday’s general audience.
The Holy Father invited a group of kids to join him, who laughed and enjoyed their chance to greet the crowds and take pictures.
This week, the Holy Father turned his attention to the plight of child laborers.
He sent a message to the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, which is underway in Durban, South Africa, from May 15 to 20.
“Too many small hands are busy plowing fields, working in mines, traveling great distances to draw water and doing work that prevents them from attending school,” the Pope lamented, mentioning as well the victims of child prostitution which has “robbed millions of children of the joy of their youth and their God-given dignity.”
Emphasizing that poverty is the main factor that exposes children to labor exploitation, Pope Francis encouraged the participants to deliberate on the “structural causes of global poverty and the scandalous inequality that continues to exist among the members of the human family.”
