Watch: Pope Francis’ Shares His Prayer Intention for Children Who Suffer

Pope Francis shared his monthly prayer intention video for November, urging the Faithful to pray for children who suffer.

Pope Francis’ Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed “The Pope Video” initiative in 2016 as a way to spread the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intentions on the challenges humanity faces in a video based format.

For the month of November, Pope Francis shared his prayer intention that “we pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.”

International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Father Frédéric Fornos, S.J said this about the intention:

“In the face of all the suffering children throughout the world whose childhood, games, and dreams have been stolen from them, what can we do? In the midst of so many unforeseen crises, such as our common home being on fire, COVID-19, the war and its escalation, and the economic crisis, how many invisible pandemics are there? This month, Francis opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to millions of forgotten children who suffer in silence on the streets and in hidden labor, victims of violence and war, migrants and refugees. In the face of indifference and impotence, we must pray. ‘When we pray, we light a candle in the night, Francis said during the celebration of the Holy Mass on November 29, 2020. Praying makes us leave behind our indifference; prayer becomes action. Let us listen: ‘Each marginalized child, abandoned by his or her family, without schooling, without healthcare, is a cry! A cry that rises up to God and shames the system that we adults have built.”

Read below the full prayer intention of Pope Francis, and watch “The Pope Video” for November:

There are still millions of boys and girls who suffer and live in conditions very similar to slavery.

They aren’t numbers: they are human beings with names, with a face of their own, with an identity that God has given them.

Too often, we forget our responsibility and we close our eyes to the exploitation of these children who don’t have a right to play, to study, to dream. They don’t even enjoy the warmth of a family.

Each marginalized child, abandoned by his or her family, without schooling, without healthcare, is a cry! A cry that rises up to God and shames the system that we adults have built.

An abandoned child is our fault.

We can no longer allow them to feel alone and abandoned —they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so they know that God does not forget them.

Let us pray for children who are suffering, especially for those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war. May they be guaranteed access to education and may they have the opportunity to experience family affection.