Did you know that millions of children suffer from war and violence? "More than 11,000 children have died in the civil war in Syria, which began nearly three years ago, and hundreds of them were victims of snipers or killed selectively."
Did you know that thousands of children are killed by their own relatives in the belief that they are witches or wizards? "I was thrown out of the house because I was accused of witchcraft," said one of those "forgotten children of Africa".
Did you know that every day 40,000 children die from lack of food? Children are dying of malnutrition and disease, including Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation and from the effects of drugs.
It is very difficult to celebrate "International Children’s Day", when it is so clear that millions of children are suffering.
Even in the midst of this dark landscape, the words of Pope Francis fill us with hope. They are the answer that the Holy Father gave to a child called William from the United States who asked him: "Dear Pope Francis, if you could perform one miracle, what would it be?" And the Pope’s answer is not surprising, because the Pope's heart is pained by the suffering of children: "For me it is a mystery. I have no explanation. I often wonder about it. I pray about this question: why do children suffer? It's my heart that asks the question. Jesus wept and in his tears he understood our drama. I try to understand. If I could perform a miracle, I would heal all the children."
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has written: This year I want to stress the importance of not forgetting the children who are deprived of their freedom."
