Children are 'innocence, promise, many good things,' Pope Francis says
FREE Catholic Classes
Pope Francis Sunday attended a party with the children and families receiving treatment and help at the Vatican's 98-year-old free health clinic.

Pope Francis with children of the Santa Marta Dispensary
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
12/23/2019 (5 years ago)
Published in Europe
Keywords: POPE FRANCIS, VATICAN CITY, VATICAN
Vatican City, (CNA) - Pope Francis Sunday attended a party with the children and families receiving treatment and help at the Vatican's 98-year-old free health clinic.
"Giving children joy is a really great thing," he said Dec. 22, greeting around 300 sick children and their families.
"Also, when parents know how to play with children, they do a really great thing," he added. "Playing with children, the expression of children who are innocence, promise, many good things."
Receiving "gifts" from three children dressed as the three magi, the pope spoke about hope, love, and peace.
"What is more beautiful, war or peace?" he asked the kids. "Peace!" they responded.
"To defeat war, love is needed," he continued. Hope, he said, means "looking to the future, looking to the horizon, with the hope that always comes from the Lord, and even from our labor, a better world."
The children are guests of the Vatican's Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary, which was started in 1922 to give free powdered milk to the poor children of Rome, the idea of an American woman with stock in a powdered milk company.
It continued to operate through the Second World War, and in 1952, the Vatican governorate asked to also host a pediatric unit at the same premises.
The services expanded to include medical visits for children and mothers, the distribution of various relief items, and home visits.
It also continued to give out "farina lattea," a kind of baby food made from powdered milk and grains.
The dispensary went through several changes of location and scope before officially becoming a charitable foundation of the pope in 2008.
Today the Santa Marta Dispensary hosts 310 ill children from around the world, providing healthcare for them and their families.
It is run by 55 doctors, nurses, volunteers, and sisters of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
It is financially supported by the pope, the Secretariat of State, the Vatican City State Governorate, and benefactors and friends.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

-
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Vice President JD Vance Denounces British Arrests of Pro-Lifers for Silent Prayer
-
Pope Francis Hospitalized for Treatment of Bronchitis, Vatican Confirms
-
St. Valentine: How a beheaded martyr became the poster child for romantic love
-
Memorable Moments with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office
-
Sexlessness Crisis: The Shocking Decline of Relationships and How the Church Can Save a Lost Generation
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Saturday, February 15, 2025
St. Vincent Pallotti: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Prayer for Aborted Babies: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, January 22, 2025
- Daily Readings for Friday, February 14, 2025
- St. Agnes: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, January 21, 2025
- A Prayer for Friends and Benefactors: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.