Every year, Pope John Paul II proposes a theme for the prayerful consideration of the faithful during the Lent en season. This year, the Pope has chosen the theme encapsulated in the gospel text:  "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Matthew 18:5). By means of this text, the Pope wishes to focus the attention of all people of good will on the plight of children in our modern world. He goes on to say:

“ … a word must be said about the selfishness of those who do not "receive" children. There are young people who have been profoundly hurt by the violence of adults: sexual abuse, forced prostitution, involvement in the sale and use of drugs; children forced to work or enlisted for combat; young children scarred forever by the break up of the family; little ones caught up in the obscene trafficking of organs and persons. What too of the tragedy of AIDS and its devastating consequences in Africa? It is said that millions of persons are now afflicted by this scourge, many of whom were infected from birth. Humanity cannot close its eyes in the face of so appalling a tragedy!

“What evil have these children done to merit such suffering? From a human standpoint it is not easy, indeed it may be impossible, to answer this disturbing question. Only faith can make us begin to understand so profound an abyss of suffering.”

The Pope has not addressed his call on behalf of children and young people to any particular group with in the Church. His position is that such an appalling situation ought to be a concern for the whole of humanity. His words do contain a challenge, however, for those who have ears to ear to give serious concern to the plight of children and to do something about it; in other words, to champion the cause of Children’s Rights as a matter of Christian duty and concern.

Why we Brothers should champion the rights of the Child.

Elsewhere on the Edmundclt.org site, there is an article arguing the need for the Congregation to have a corporate stance in relation to justice issues. In this article, some arguments are offered in support of making “the Rights of the Child” the core element of that corporate stance.

To champion the Rights of the Child in a world where there is so much abuse and exploitation of Children seems to be a profoundly Christian thing to do. The gospels repeatedly call on all Christians to be concerned above all for the weak and underprivileged. In today’s world, it would be hard to find a more underprivileged group than the millions of destitute children who arrive on our planet crippled with a burden of misery that guarantees them a (short) life of deprivation and suffering. They receive this inheritance of destitution as a gratuitous gift from their forebears who see them as human capital to be exploited or human refuse to be disposed of. That these destitute children are unique manifestations of the face of God never registers on their human sensitivities of those who exploit them for reasons of power, greed or perversion.

Perhaps the most basic argument to be offered in support of the Congregation embracing the Rights of the Child as its corporate stance is the fact that this corporate stance is totally consistent with the charism of the congregation. If there was one thing more than another which moved Blessed Edmund to found our Congregation it was his love for children, particularly those children who were poor and deprived. To their welfare he devoted his whole apostolic effort, his paternal concern, his energy, his resources, his time. It was on their behalf that he gave of his all so that they might be liberated from the prison of destitution in which they found themselves through no fault of their own. It was the plight of the destitute poor children of Waterford that opened the heart of Edmund and allowed in the transforming power of the Spirit. What could be more in keeping with our founding charism for us Brothers than a willingness to open our hearts, like Edmund did, to Christ appealing to us in the misfortunes of young people and respond generously, creatively and vigorously as he did.

Indeed if we look in our Constitutions we will find ample support for such a stance. Here are some relevant quotations:

“As apostolic religious we are missioned by the Church for the evangelisation of youth, and especially for the education and care of the materially poor. This mission is expressed through a variety of ministries. In each ministry we respond creatively to emerging needs in a changing world.” con 24

“In our mission of evangelisation we endeavour to proclaim gospel values, to affirm the dignity of all people and to work for justice and peace. We are called to witness by prophetic action to our option for the poor and the oppressed and to solidarity with them. This option is not an exclusive one; while some brothers are called to work directly with the poor, all of us are called to experience poverty ourselves and to work for the poor.” con. 26

“As apostolic religious we are missioned by the Church for the evangelisation of youth, and especially for the education and care of the materially poor. This mission is expressed through a variety of ministries. In each ministry, we respond creatively to emerging needs in a changing world.” con. 51

These extracts from our Constitutions speak for themselves. There is no need for elaboration. In their starkness, they speak more powerfully than if clouded in a fog of explanation.

There are many different levels at which to become involved in working for the Rights of Children . Here are just a few:

·                     direct involvement in the work itself

·                     proclaiming in the public arena the gross injustices done to children and exposing child injustice wherever it is to be found

·                     lobbying at the political level of the change of laws and the recognition of rights

·                     awareness raising through education programmes

·                     collaborating with others in promoting the Rights of Children

·                     being a support person for those more immediately involved through prayer, through solidarity and through the thousand and one practical ways in which a generous heart will find means of supporting a cause in which he believes passionately 

By way of conclusion, it is worth repeating that the Congregation would be well served by identifying a corporate stance by means of which it could more effectively begin to harness its personnel and resources to promote the work of justice. For our Congregation, it would be difficult to find a more appropriate corporate stance than promoting the Rights of Children. What is called for now is a ground swell of support at local, region and province level to give concrete expression to this ideal for the Congregation.

Br. Mark Mc Donnell (Rome)