Rome event set for Sept. 25\u201327 is scrapped as the Vatican says children\u2019s pastoral initiatives should instead be held locally with families.<\/p>\n
VATICAN CITY \u2014 The Vatican has canceled the second World Children\u2019s Day, which had been scheduled to take place in Rome Sept. 25\u201327, about six weeks after Pope Leo XIV dissolved the commission responsible for its organization.<\/p>\n
The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life announced the decision March 27, saying it had \u201cconsidered it appropriate to cancel the celebration of the Second World Children\u2019s Day, initially scheduled to take place in Rome from Sept. 25 to 27, 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the official statement, the dicastery opted not to hold the international gathering in Rome and instead pointed to a more decentralized approach rooted in local communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll initiatives aimed at the pastoral care of children may be celebrated, at the discretion of the ordinaries, at a diocesan or parish level and with the involvement of families, the proper place for the human and spiritual growth of every child,\u201d the statement said, adding that the decision was made \u201cafter careful consideration and in agreement with the Holy Father.\u201d<\/p>\n
The text underscores the role of the family as central to the human and spiritual development of children, in keeping with the pastoral emphasis of the current pontificate.<\/p>\n
The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life also reaffirmed that it continues \u201cits commitment to promoting the pastoral care of the family in all its components.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cancellation of the second World Children\u2019s Day follows another decision made in February that brought a structural change by placing the initiative under the integrated management of the Roman Curia. Leo XIV dissolved the Pontifical Commission for World Children\u2019s Day, a body created in 2024 by his predecessor, Pope Francis, for organizational matters.<\/p>\n
As a result, the president, vice president, and all members of the body \u2014 including Father Enzo Fortunato, who had served as president of the committee \u2014 automatically ceased their functions.<\/p>\n
Full responsibility then passed to the dicastery led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, whom the pope entrusted with general coordination, resolving pending matters, and presenting the final liquidation balance to the Secretariat for the Economy.<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de ACI Prensa, serviciul de limb\u0103 spaniol\u0103 al EWTN News. Ea a fost tradus\u0103 \u0219i adaptat\u0103 de EWTN News English.<\/p>\n