Pope Leo XIV saved the most forceful words of his weekly general audience for its final minutes. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, before a crowd of several thousand pilgrims filling St. Peter's Square, he urged a worldwide effort to shield children who leave home as migrants or refugees. "I appeal to everyone's sense of responsibility," the pontiff said, according to Reuters.
The timing was deliberate. Four days from now, the Catholic Church holds its annual day for migrants and refugees, and the 2026 edition places children at its center.
