"Cruel crime"

Pope: Child abuse a “plague on society”

During the general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis denounced child abuse as a "plague on society".(Bild: AFP)

For Pope Francis, child abuse is a "plague on society". It is "a crime, a grave violation of God's commandments".

"No child should be abused. One case is too many," warned Francis. He lamented the fact that hundreds of millions of minors worldwide are forced to work even though they have not reached the minimum age.

"Combating exploitation, especially the exploitation of children, is the most important way to create a better future for society as a whole."

Unfortunately, there are many ways in which children are abused and mistreated in our societies. Child abuse, whatever its nature, is a heinous act, a cruel act.

Papst Franziskus

In his catechesis, which was entirely dedicated to the problems of childhood and youth, the Pontiff lamented that many minors "are slaves of trafficking for prostitution, pornography and forced marriages".

"Widespread poverty, the lack of social instruments to support families, marginalization, which has increased in recent years, as well as unemployment and job insecurity are factors that weigh most heavily on the youngest," he explained.

"In the big cities, where the social gap and moral decay are the greatest, there are children who are engaged in drug trafficking and various illegal activities," he added.

(Bild: AFP )

"Some children come back with scars"
Francis also reported on the case of a child in his native Argentina who was abducted and has since disappeared. "It is suspected that the boy was killed to remove organs. Some children come back with scars," the Pope reported.