Le peripezie sociali dei bambini africani

The Social Doctrine of the Church, from Pope Leo XIII to Leo XIV, reaffirms the right to social and academic citizenship. In Africa, where the family is central, the Church defends orphaned and abandoned children, ensuring their human dignity. The right to a family and a decent home is fundamental to protecting African children in general, particularly orphans and street children, from extreme poverty. In the eastern region of the Congo, contrary to the principles of just labor as recognized under international law, children fall victim to child labor, exploitation, and recruitment into armed conflicts. Transformed into instruments of war and bloodshed, they become a cause of sexual violence against adults and abuse against children—leading to depravation and even genocide. The conquest of rare minerals in the Congo demands urgent distributive and social justice. The encyclical “Rerum Novarum”, a cornerstone of the Magisterium, condemns labor exploitation, a contemporary issue for children working in mines. In this context, the Church’s social doctrine and the re-education of adults focus on the centrality of children and the family—a vital framework within which, during his Apostolic Visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pope Francis addressed the international community with a prophetic warning: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Through its promotion of the family - understood as the “Divine Family of human families” - the Church plays a crucial role in safeguarding childhood vulnerability. By fostering closeness, education, and instruction, it embodies the familial ideal as perceived in African religious tradition. This mission includes the protection of orphans, street children, child soldiers, and those exploited in the pursuit of rare minerals. From a social perspective, this colloquium is universally addressed to all, but from an academic standpoint, it specifically targets missionaries and evangelizers, opinion leaders and educators, as well as the vast consumer base adhering to the secular religion of globalization, which is expanding rapidly. As articulated in the fundamental messages: “Children first, children always” or “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to those who resemble them” (Mark 10:14), and “Unless you become like this child, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3).