You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. — Exodus 22:21
I once read that the greatness of a nation rests in how that nation cares for children. Children are the future and, if they are in peril, so is that future. Pope Leo writes a beautiful message for last month’s 112th World Day of Migrants & Refugees” titled, “Even Just One of These Children (cf. Mt 18:10).” He writes:
My thoughts turn to the words of Jesus that profoundly challenge our consciences: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me” (Mt 18:5). It is not a question of numbers or statistics. The Gospel invites us not to calculate: even one. Every child, every human being, possesses an infinite dignity. Each is created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26); each is a presence of the Lord. Before every migrant child, we are called to make an act of humanityand faith, for we are able to welcome and encounter the Lord. This call becomes even more pressing in the light of another of the Lord’s affirmations in the Gospel of Matthew: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).
Sadly, migrant children are more easily ignored, because they lack adults capable of protecting and supporting them. It is necessary, then, to intervene in their countries of origin in order to remove the causes that compel them to flee, while at the same time offering protection and welcome in the countries of transit and destination. The cry of displaced children rises to God today, just as did the cry heard in the Book of Exodus [Ex 3:7–8] . . .God hears their cry and, in order to bring about liberation, he forcefully appeals to the conscience and action of each one of us, just as he did with Moses. We cannot remain indifferent, nor can we become accustomed to such suffering. Message of the Holy Father for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2026
Imagine if our nation truly treasured children. There would have been no child slaves from the inception of our country; no Trail of Tears; no child labor especially during the Industrial Revolution; no child trafficking; and no child who is hungry, homeless, lacking medical care, caught in generational poverty or in jail for fleeing their country of origin. Will we ever be a nation that values the lives of children by restoring the natural world to full health for future generations of children? We cannot remain indifferent.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC