In his catechesis at the general audience of January 8, 2025, dedicated in this Jubilee year to the life of Jesus, the Pontiff commented on several extracts from the Bible that evoke the place of children.
He noted how Christ had broken with a tradition that did not value children, telling his disciples, "Let the children come to me."
“Children are a gift from God; unfortunately, this gift is not always welcomed with respect,” noted the Pope.
He added:
Children occupy a special place in God’s heart, and whoever harms a child will have to account to Him.
And in his greeting to Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, he observed:
Always remember that children are hope. Protect their smile, which is one of the most beautiful manifestations of God's tenderness.
At the end of the audience, acrobats, dancers, musicians, and two impressive “mechanical elephants” from the CircAfrica circus performed for the Pontiff.
The Pope congratulated them, praising their ability to make the audience smile.
I am so grateful to these women and men who made us smile with the circus. The circus makes us laugh like children. Circus performers have this mission, even with us: to make us laugh and do good things. I thank all of you so much.