Misael Avila: Don’t forget the children traumatized by the church

Re “Text of Pope Francis’ traditional Christmas day message” (Online, Dec. 25): Pope Francis Christmas message is beautiful. He says “Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Luke 2:7).”

Then he gives different examples in which we should recognize the baby Jesus. We should recognize him in the children afflicted by war, in those who “suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.” Jesus is also present in many children who are exploited and forced to work. We ought to see Jesus in children who are “forced to leave their countries to travel alone in inhuman conditions” and who are easy prey of human traffickers. We should also see Jesus “in the children of unemployed parents who struggle to offer their children a secure and peaceful future.”

The thousands of children abused by priests was conspicuously absent. I don’t know why the Pope didn’t say anything about it and I don’t doubt his commitment in assuring the safety of children, but I think it is important for the church to look at herself in the mirror and not just point fingers.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Misael Avila: Don’t forget the children traumatized by the church."