International Day of the Rights of the Child and Adolescent

International Day of the Rights of the Child and Adolescent

Children and adolescents
bear the brunt of all the world’s injustices

There is no doubt that among the most vulnerable in society – despite the fact that almost 100 years have passed since the Charter of the Rights of the Child, drafted in 1924 by the then United Nations Society – we find children and, today, as a result of Covid lockdowns, adolescents who have had to stifle their physiological need to explore the world and experience progressive freedoms, learn to relate and discover others.

Our Congregation has always been sensitive to the condition of children and adolescents. Among its Values Positions, in fact, we find the one on Girls, to be understood as extending to every human person of “minor age”, the one on Trafficking in women and girls, and the one on Prostitution of women and girls.

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More recently, the Congregation has pledged to promote in all its realities “a clear, detailed and operational child protection policy to promote the fulfilment of protocols and protect ‘minors’ from all forms of abuse”.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
And whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Mark 9:37

“We find inspiration and guidance for our mission in sacred scripture and in the
teachings of St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphrasia. Like them, we draw our spirit of
zeal from the Heart of Jesus and Mary. It is an evangelical spirit of welcome, kindness,
understanding, and loving service which gives witness to the value
[and dignity] of each person.”

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Constitution Art. 8

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“All life has inestimable value even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old,
the unborn, and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in God’s own
image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.”

Pope Francis, Message on the Annual Day for Life
in Britain and Ireland – July 28, 2013

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“We recognize that every girl is born with dignity, possesses the inherent rights of all
humans, and ought to be assured the unique rights of childhood to enable them to
reach their potential as individuals, as women, and as members of society. In responding
to the needs of the girl child, it is critical to […] ensure that every [Congregational]
program has a clear, detailed, and operative Child Protection Policy that promotes
positive development and protects from abuse of any kind; [and] use UN human rights
tools to advocate nationally and internationally.”

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd,
Position Paper on the Girl Child, 2018