By Jenna MacDermant
Pope Francis welcomed the world with open arms — especially children.
When a boy walked on stage during Mass, the Holy Father visibly chuckled. As the boy’s mother tried to wrangle her son, the pope told the audience the boy is mute but knows how to express himself. He joked, “He is Argentinian and unruly,” before telling the boy to stay.
The pontiff welcomed a young girl when she interrupted Mass, too.
“Let her stay, God speaks for children,” Pope Francis said.
Instead of excluding children, the Holy Father embraced them and encouraged them.
When another little boy wandered up to the pope, he stood by, allowing him to climb into his chair and hug his legs. Pope Francis tenderly patted the child on the head. The boy examined the pope up close, touching and kissing his cross, and the pontiff couldn’t have been more pleased.
Another boy wouldn’t leave Pope Francis’ side during Mass. The Holy Father asked his head of protocol to give the boy his chair.
Over the years, there were countless hugs and kisses, blessings of babies, and selfies taken around the world.
The pope often gravitated to children with disabilities.
During a visit to Ecuador, Pope Francis posed for a selfie with this child in a wheelchair, before offering his blessing. When he met a little girl from Ohio at the Vatican, she was going blind due to a genetic disorder. He kissed her, touched her face and blessed her eyes. The tender moment brought a smile to her face.
The Holy Father was so moved by a cancer survivor with Down syndrome on a family trip to Rome, that he stopped and kissed the boy’s head, then suddenly offered him a ride in his Popemobile.
Even when Pope Francis was hospitalized and recovering from abdominal surgery in 2023, he made sure to visit children in the cancer ward of his Rome hospital.
Another moment illustrated Pope Francis’ fondness for children — when he gathered with more than 7,000 children from 84 countries.
He told his young audience he’s happy when he meets children because they teach him something new every time, and remind him of how beautiful life is in its simplicity.