A peaceful invasion

They will arrive in Rome on May 25th and 26th, for the World Children Day announced by Pope Francis.

It will be a peaceful invasion, tens of thousands of children from all over the world. They will arrive in Rome on 25 and 26 May, for the World Children Day announced by Pope Francis, organized by the Dicastery of Culture and Education of the Holy See. The general coordinator of the event is Father Enzo Fortunato, who was recently appointed by Bergoglio also as spokesperson for St. Peter's Basilica. The organizational machine has started, Fortunato still doesn't say too much about the numbers: "We'll be surprised."

The event was presented yesterday in the Vatican press room by the organizers: in addition to the Vatican dicastery, the Sant'Egidio Community, the Auxilium Cooperative and the FIGC, but also a collective effort on the part of other subjects and bodies, including Ita-Airways , Ferrovie dello Stato and Ms Crociere, Vicariato, Federalberghi and Fiera di Roma.

There will be two main events, Fortunato explained: a meeting between the Pope and the children in an area yet to be defined (it could be even the Circus Maximus), made up of testimonies, questions, performances by artists and a final intervention by Francis, in the form he likes most, direct dialogue.

Then on Sunday the mass in St. Peter's Square, celebrated by the Pope. The dry run was the Pontiff's meeting with the children in the Paul VI hall on 6 November: the one in May will be considered “edition zero”. For the meeting, three paths were identified: spirituality, solidarity and culture.

“I cannot help but thank Pope Francis for establishing the first World Children Day. As coordinator of the initiative – said Father Fortunato – I will put all my enthusiasm and my ability to dream. And who more than children can teach us to dream? And what bigger dream than peace? Let's start again from them, from their simplicity and desire. And from the words of the Lord taken from the Apocalypse, which the Holy Father chose as theme motto: "Behold, I make all things new".

Participants from war zones are expected to arrive, announced Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio: «It is a Catholic, Christian event, but of course non-Catholic children will attend. Will be open to other realities. There will be refugees, children arriving through humanitarian corridors – he explained – They will arrive from Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, there will be children who have passed through Libya. And from Haiti, from Palestine, from Ukraine, from South Sudan, from Mozambique, from Nigeria. There is a whole network of dioceses, organizations, associations that live in war zones. Those are the places we will call the people from. It won't be difficult to get them to come."

Carlo Marroni - Sole 24 Ore