Pope announces he will write Apostolic Exhortation dedicated to children

Young burn survivor shares a hug with Pope Francis during Summit on Children's Rights

Source: Vatican Media

The first-ever International Summit on Children's Rights was held in the Vatican on Monday, 3 February, with the presence of Pope Francis, advocates, and heads of NGOs. Speakers from all over the world came to discuss the global crisis of millions of children without basic human rights. The message that rang throughout the Summit was that "nothing is worth more than the life of a child."

In a world marked by poverty, war, lack of education, and exploitation, children everywhere face injustice and vulnerabilities. Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to all the participants and speakers for making "the rooms of the Apostolic Palace an 'observatory' focused on the reality of childhood worldwide."

More than simply a place to observe, the Pope described the Summit as "a laboratory" and highlighted a phrase Fr Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, used: "Children are watching us." He explained children are watching "us to see how we move forward in life."

The Pope closed his reflection explaining he intends to write an Apostolic Exhortation dedicated to children to "give continuity to this commitment and promote it throughout the Church."

Seven panels covered a range of topics: from children's rights in the modern world and access to education to the right to free time and the right to food and healthcare.

In one of the first messages on the rights of children in the modern world, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan called the international community to care for every child no matter their situation. She stressed that was the promised the world made to children because "every child has an equal claim to our protection and care."

The Queen emphasized a shocking statistic for children in Gaza: 96% reported feeling their death was imminent and almost 50% said they wished to die. She posed the question, "how did we let our humanity come to this?" It's only if man makes a conscious effort, Queen Al Abdullah continued, can the beautiful vision of a better world come together.

Another speaker was former US Vice President Al Gore, who warned against the threat of ecological devastation - which "is a burden we have placed upon the children of our planet." He said a "wilful blindness" has kept many from seeing the effects of global warming, greenhouse gases, and other forms of climate change. Gore, the Founder and President of The Climate Reality Project emphasized that it is not the current generation that will live with the consequences, but our children's generations.

"Children are the beauty of the world," the President of GKSD Investment Holding Group, Kamel Ghiribi, stated. He argued we must look beyond simply finding the solution to hunger and injustice for children, "we must seek to find the problem behind the problem; the why."

He challenged everyone present and the international community to make this Summit different from others by going beyond words and living this call to aid children long after the Summit has ended. Rather than simply gathering all together, listening to beautiful speeches, Ghiribi urged the Summit members to take action. "I hope that when we all leave here today, we will make concrete gestures."

During the day, Pope Francis met nine-year-old Roman Oleksiv, who was severely burned in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia in 2022. Roman was accompanied by representatives of 'Alliance Unbroken Kids, an initiative supporting children affected by war. This is the third time he's met the Pope.

Roman was just seven when Russian Kalibr missiles struck Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on July 14, 2022, killing 28 people, including his mother, and injuring over 200. He survived with severe burns. Despite enduring painful treatments, he carries his scars with pride, once even appearing in a full-body compression garment that made him look like a superhero.

His journey to recovery took him from Ukraine to Germany, where he underwent intensive care and multiple surgeries, including skin grafts and eardrum reconstruction. Against all odds, he regained strength and mobility, later sharing his story in the documentary series Children of War.

Roman first met Pope Francis on December 6, 2023, during a general audience, when he handed the Pope a letter before embracing him. Their second encounter took place on May 25, 2024, at World Children's Day. Today, 3 February 2025, he returned to the Vatican, this time without the gloves and mask that once concealed his injuries, and he rested his head on the Pope's shoulder.

His embrace of the Pope was a moment of profound significance. As Pope Francis reiterated at the summit earlier in the day, war remains a "crime" against the most vulnerable. Yet, through Roman's strength, a message of hope continues to shine.

At the end of the Summit, Pope Francis - together with other speakers - signed a declaration of eight principles regarding the protection and care of the rights of children. And with this call to action and the goal of creating a just future, although the Summit ends today, its mission will carry on until every child has access to the most basic of human rights.