Pope praises Sunshine project for children with ASD

Pope meets the Sunshine children with their parents and teachers

Source: Vatican News

On Monday Pope Francis received a group of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with their parents and teachers. They attend the Sunshine Outpatient Clinic, (Ambulatorium Sonnenschein) in St Polten, Austria. He told them: "Welcome to the Vatican! I am happy to see your faces, and I read it in your eyes that you too are happy to be here with me for a while."

Treatment at the clinic combines diagnosis, advice and therapy for children and adolescents with special needs under one roof.

Pope Francis said: "Your house is called Sunshine, a beautiful name! It is because your house is like a magnificent blooming meadow in the sunshine and you are the flowers of this Sunshine house!" He explained that God created the world with a great variety of flowers of all colours, and every flower has its beauty, which is unique.

"Each of us, is also beautiful in God's eyes, and God loves us. Hence, we need to thank God for it.

"Thank you for the gift of life, for all creatures! Thank you for mom and dad! Thank you for our families! And thank you also for the friends from the Sunshine centre!" the Pope said. Gratitude, he explained, is a beautiful prayer that is pleasing to God.

He told the children they can also ask Jesus to help their parents with their work or comfort the grandmother who is a bit sick. They can ask Jesus to help children around the world who have nothing to eat or even help the Pope to lead the Church well. "If you ask with faith, the Lord will surely hear you," the Pope told them.

Pope Francis concluded by thanking all those present. He told the clinic staff: "Thank you for this beautiful initiative and for your commitment to the little ones entrusted to you. Everything that you have done for one of these little ones, you have done it to Jesus!"

Read more about the Sunshine Clinic here: www.ambulatorium-sonnenschein.at/