Pope Francis on Monday called for
action to prevent child and teen abuse and guarantee a serene
childhood to youths in a speech to authorities and civil society
in East Timor.
In an implicit reference also to child sex abuse cases involving
members of the clergy registered in recent years the pope said:
"Let's not forget the many children and teens whose dignity has
been offended.
"The phenomenon is growing across the world.
"We are all called to act with responsibility to prevent any
type of abuse and to guarantee a serene childhood to our
youths", the pontiff noted in his speech in Dili, the capital of
East Timor, the third stopover of his 12-day trip to Southeast
Asia and Oceania.
Francis noted that 65% of the population in the country is under
30 years of age, saying "this is wealth".
"This figure tells us that the first sector on which to invest
for you is education, in the family and in school - an education
placing children and teens at the centre and promoting their
dignity", he said.
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