Skip to content

#BeHuman: World Meeting on Human Fraternity in Rome

Pope Francis, surrounded by children, emphasizes the importance of unity and care for future generations at the World Meeting on Human Fraternity in Rome.

We, with God, have to be like this: safe in God’s arms like a baby in his mother’s arms,” these are the words of Pope Francis surrounded by children. 

The “Children’s Table” was a tender moment of encounter at the World Meeting on Human Fraternity in Rome. 

Organized as a part of the preparation for the upcoming World Children’s Day on May 25 and 26 in Rome, dozens of children crowned with laurels flooded the synod hall where they met with Pope Francis. 

In an informal exchange, the Holy Father engaged in a game of questions and answers with the children, asking them to define happiness, peace and friendship. The Children’s Table was also a part of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, organized by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation under name #BeHuman, which took place on May 10-11 in the Vatican. 

Spanning two days, the meeting involved 12 thematic roundtables in which experts from around the world engaged in dialogue on the most pressing issues of our contemporary world, from a perspective of fraternity inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti

Topics such as sustainability, education, health and social media were discussed by the participants, which included women, men, and organizations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, as well as human rights activists. 

Pope Francis attended one of the roundtables, titled “Children: Future generations”, in which most of the participants were children. In his address to the little ones, the pope stressed that the future of humanity depends on young and old working together. 

“The future of humankind,” the Pope said, “rests on two pillars: the young and the elderly. It lies in the interplay between children and grandparents. This is a beautiful thing, which urges us to take care of the elderly, of grandparents and of children. This will be the future, because grandparents impart their wisdom to us, while children learn from the wisdom of grandparents. Grandparents have a whole past that enriches us, while children inherit a future shaped by the past.” 

At the end of the children’s roundtable, the Holy Father signed a copy of “the “Children’s Declaration on Fraternity,” a declaration written by the children themselves, expressing what fraternity means to them. 

The World Meeting concluded in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica with a concert featuring artists Giovanni Allevi, Roberto Vecchioni, and American country singer Garth Brooks. 

Adapted by Jacob Stein 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, UPDATES AND INFORMATION FROM THE VATICAN

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Vatican’s Jubilee of Artists: How Art and Faith Shape Culture

The Jubilee of Artists and World of Culture kicked off with an international conference at the Vatican Museums to discuss the transmission of religious and artistic heritage.

Cookies and empanadas in Dilexit Nos: food references in the teachings of Pope Francis

Food references in the pontificate of Pope Francis and especially in Dilexit Nos.

For the First Time in Synod’s History, Over 50 Women to Participate as Voters

For the First Time in Synod's History, Over 50 Women to Participate as Voters, Marking a Step towards Synodality

Pope Francis urges married couples to ‘be open to life’

“Be open to the gift of life,” Pope Francis urged married couples in his Sunday Angelus address in which the pope described a recent encounter with a father of eight children as “a great consolation.”

Pope Francis: St. Lucy Is An Example Of Female Leadership In The Church

On the feast day of St. Lucy, Dec. 13, Pope Francis said that “we need women’s work and their word in a Church that reaches out that it may be leaven and light in the culture and in our lives together.”

Sacred Heart encyclical ‘key’ to Pope Francis’ pontificate, theologian says

A prominent Italian theologian and archbishop has called Pope Francis’ new encyclical on the Sacred Heart “the key to his entire pontificate” and “the inspiring motive of [his] whole ministry and magisterium.”

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTN.it