Pope Francis has denounced the “scourge” of child labor and other abuses suffered by children, saying anyone who harms or exploits a child will have to answer to God. Francis dedicated the first catechism lesson of 2025 to the plight of children Wednesday, telling his general audience that the faithful cannot remain indifferent to the problem of child labor. The 88-year-old pope sounded congested throughout the audience and skipped about half his prepared text, but he seemed entertained by a performance by an African-themed circus troupe, CircAfrica. The group brought acrobats, robot-operated puppet elephants, jugglers and dancers on rollerskates to perform for the pope in the Vatican auditorium.
