VATICAN - World Missionary Childhood Day: "Spiritual cooperation" the theme of the initiatives being carried out all over the world

Wednesday, 10 January 2024 pontifical mission societies missionary childhood pope francis

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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Some make an Advent calendar to sell, others study a song to perform, others make donation boxes and go to schools and parishes or take part in the Epiphany Singing campaign and go from house to house and bring the joy of preaching the Gospel to support projects for children all over the world with the donations collected. These are the different "faces" of the missionary initiatives carried out throughout the year by the children and young people of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood (POSI) in the more than 120 countries in which it is present. "Children pray for children, children evangelize children, children help children" is the slogan of the children's missionary organization, which celebrated its 180th anniversary last year.
The organization was founded in 1843 by Bishop Charles Forbin de Janson, who, impressed by some stories from missionaries living in China about the plight of children, who came up with the idea of involving French children so that they could help their Chinese peers through prayer and material assistance. Prayers and donations form the basis of the children's mission work, which culminates in World Missionary Childhood Day. This day, dedicated to prayer and solidarity, was established by Pope Pius XII introduced on December 10, 1950 and celebrated for the first time on January 6, 1951. Children and young people around the world often celebrate it on different dates depending on local circumstances. The Pope also recalled the initiative on Epiphany, January 6th, and thanked the children: "The Epiphany is Missionary Childhood Day. I greet missionary children and young people throughout the world. I thank them for their commitment in prayer and in concrete support of the proclamation of the Gospel and, in particular, the promotion of young people in the mission territories. Thank you, thank you very much! From Spain (January 14th) to El Salvador (January 28th) and Nigeria (January 28th) to Mexico (February 18th), there are a variety of activities for Missionary Childhood Day and which, in this year, they will follow the underlying theme of "spiritual cooperation" indicated by the International Secretariat of POSI stated as the main topic. "I invite you to be witnesses of the Gospel of joy, peace, friendship and fraternity that Jesus taught us," emphasizes the Secretary General of POSI, Sister Roberta Tremarelli, in her Christmas message to children and young people. "I invite you to continue to proclaim the Good News in every family: may the Lord accompany you in these days in your initiatives to support and promote the Society founded by Bishop Charles De Forbin Janson, who cared for children "who died and could not get to know Jesus". (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 10/01/2024)