• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis speaks to children from different parts of the world at the "Let Us Learn from Boys and Girls" event in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Nov. 6, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Pope encourages children to speak up, work for peace

November 7, 2023
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a celebration of life, peace, joy and harmony, thousands of children representing young people on every continent greeted Pope Francis during an afternoon event in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.

Children from different parts of the world, such as the Amazon and favelas of Brazil, sang on stage, and Italian pop star Mr. Rain performed his hit single, “Super Heroes.”

The event Nov. 6 was sponsored by the Dicastery for Culture and Education and was attended by more than 6,000 children from different parts of Italy and other parts of the world.

Young people cheer for Pope Francis during the international meeting “Let Us Learn from Boys and Girls” in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Nov. 6, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Dedicated to the importance of peace, fraternity and respect for others and creation, the event was titled, “Let Us Learn from Boys and Girls,” to focus attention on children’s simple and sincere desires for peace and harmony in the world.

“There is much to learn from you,” the pope said. “I am always happy when I meet you because you teach me something new every time. For example, you remind me how beautiful life is in its simplicity and how beautiful it is to be together!”

“Two big gifts God has given us,” he said, are life and being together with simplicity.

The pope encouraged the kids to embrace their adolescence, which is “a wonderful age” and to make their thoughts, feelings and experiences heard by adults.

He asked the children to remember all the other kids their age who are suffering from war, hunger, climate disasters and poverty.

“You know there are bad people who do bad things, they make war and destroy. Do you want to do bad things?” the pope asked. After the children yelled, “No!” he asked, “Do you want to help?” to which they replied with enthusiasm, “Yes!”

The pope cut short his prepared speech in order to dedicate more time to questions from the children, who asked him questions about climate change, wars, his friends, his work habits and what he dreams about at night.

“I don’t know what I dream because I am asleep!” he joked as the kids laughed. Sometimes, he said, he dreams about things he remembers when he was a child. “Dreaming is beautiful,” he said, because it shows something alive is stirring inside.

With each question, the pope had a tidbit of wisdom for the kids to remember, making them repeat each phrase a number of times.

His words of advice included: “Whoever destroys the earth, destroys us.” “Take care of nature because nature takes care of us.” “Work gives us dignity.” “Do not waste food.” “Let’s work for peace.” “Peace is made with the heart and an outstretched hand.” “Children’s voices are needed” because “kids are messengers of peace.” “When you are angry, drink a glass of water before you respond.”

When a 9-year-old boy from Syria asked the pope, “Why do they kill kids during a war and no one defends them?” the pope said, “This shows the wickedness of war.”

That innocent civilians and children are killed in wartime, he said, “is cruelty,” and he led the children in praying the Our Father for all children killed in wars.

He urged all the children to work for peace after a 12-year-old girl from Palestine asked whether there would be no more peace if World War III broke out.

“We have to work for peace,” the pope said, asking everyone wave to the girl so she could let the people back in Palestine know that everyone there said “Hello.”

“Peace is beautiful!” the pope said, as the children repeated it loudly.

Read More Vatican News

Body of Blessed Frassati, relic of Blessed Acutis will be in Rome for Jubilee

Pope celebrates Apollo 11 anniversary with peek at the heavens, call to astronaut

Pope, Palestinian president discuss humanitarian tragedy in Gaza during phone call

Pope condemns Israel’s attack against church, calls for end to ‘barbarity’

Pope: Summer marks time to balance busyness with rest, prayer, joy with loved ones

A sower of light in the shadows

Copyright © 2023 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Carol Glatz

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • NBC’s Tom Llamas says Catholic education deepened his faith, pushed him to always do his best

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

  • Radio Interview: Youth ministry changing with the times

| Latest Local News |

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

Radio Interview: Youth ministry changing with the times

Quo Vadis attracts biggest crowd ever, promotes camaraderie and faith

| Latest World News |

Miami archbishop presses for pastoral visitation at Alligator Alcatraz

Body of Blessed Frassati, relic of Blessed Acutis will be in Rome for Jubilee

IDF says Gaza Holy Family Parish hit was errant mortar round that veered off course

Holy See at the UN urges sustainable development as U.S. pulls out of UNESCO

Peace by force is a ‘troubling’ idea, Iran cardinal says

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Miami archbishop presses for pastoral visitation at Alligator Alcatraz
  • Movie Review: ‘Smurfs’
  • Body of Blessed Frassati, relic of Blessed Acutis will be in Rome for Jubilee
  • Artificial Intelligence, wholeism and prayer
  • Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center
  • IDF says Gaza Holy Family Parish hit was errant mortar round that veered off course
  • Holy See at the UN urges sustainable development as U.S. pulls out of UNESCO
  • Peace by force is a ‘troubling’ idea, Iran cardinal says
  • U.S. to withdraw, again, from UNESCO over Palestine and UN development goals

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en