"Children and teenagers are the most vulnerable, and they often endure unspeakable suffering"
At the end of his public audience on September 23, Pope Leo noted this weekend's commemoration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, celebrated each year on the last Sunday of September.
The popes write a message for this World Day, and Leo's message this year focuses on the plight of migrant young people, with the theme: Even Just One of These Children, from the Gospel of Matthew (18:10).
In his remarks on Wednesday, he spoke of the same theme:
Next Sunday, September 27, marks the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. My thoughts go out to migrants and refugees, especially minors compelled to leave their homeland. Children and teenagers are the most vulnerable, and they often endure unspeakable suffering: violence, torture, exploitation, traumatic conditions, and it is not uncommon for them to lose their lives along migration routes. I appeal to everyone’s sense of responsibility: let us all feel a sense of involvement in the lives of these young people, who must always be protected and supported.
A European Parliament report notes:
In 2020, there were an estimated 35.5 million international migrant minors globally, the largest number ever recorded.
