World Children's Day

Journée mondiale des enfants
World Children's Day 25-26 mai 2024
Inscription prolongée jusqu'au 30 avril 2024
https://www.worldchildrenday.org/it/prenota

Dear friends,

Peace and goodness to you all.

"Behold, I make all things new"

As you know, last 8 December 2023, the Holy Father Francis announced the first World Children's

Day, to be held next 25 and 26 May, entrusting the organization to the Dicastery for Culture and

Education and, at the same time, appointing me Coordinator. A demanding but exciting task, in

which I will be assisted by the Sant'Egidio Community and the Auxilium Cooperative.

I like to like to quote the Holy Father's words at the Angelus on 8 December: "What type of world

do we want to transmit to the children who are growing up? Like Jesus, we want to put children at

the centre and take care of them". As Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça reminds us, in his

Letter to the Brothers in the Episcopate: "As a new event, prepared in a short time, the first Day

will resemble the rehearsal of a concert rather than the concert itself, a seed rather than a tree".

I come to you to respond to some significant questions:

To whom?

World Children's Day is addressed to boys and girls between 5 and 12 years of age, and their adult

accompaniers. As an indicative criterion, we have assumed 3 adults for every 7 children.

Where?

In the letter sent on 6 February by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça to the Episcopal

Conferences, it is indicated that the Day be lived at a dual level: universal, based in Rome, and

local.

This latter may be diocesan, interdiocesan, or national, depending on expediency and convenience.

Universal level

The Roman event comprises two moments: Saturday 25 May, from 15.00 to 18.30. The venue

has yet to be defined for a moment of celebration and proclamation, with the presence of the Holy

Father; and on Sunday 26 May, at 10.00, in Saint Peter's Square, the Celebration of Holy Mass

presided over by the Holy Father. Given the minor age of the protagonists, the maximum number

of participants expected is around 100,000, including accompanying adults. Every local Church is

guaranteed the possibility of a representation.

Local level

The design and organisation of the local World Children's Day is left to the creativity of the

individual Dioceses and Bishops' Conferences, bearing in mind the short preparation time for the

2024 edition. The programme should at least include a moment of proclamation and celebration,

and the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration. It is useful to send to this Committee the programme

produced and the material produced locally; it would be a valuable contribution to the planning of

future editions.

Registration

• Registration for the event in Rome – subject to availability – may be sent by Dioceses,

Parishes, Movements, Schools and Associations.

• In the planning of local events, respect for the civil and ecclesiastical rules for the

"Protection of minors" is deemed obligatory.

• To register, it will be necessary to follow the procedure indicated at the following link

https://www.worldchildrenday.org/it/prenota of the dedicated website

https://www.worldchildrenday.org. You will also find the Italian version:

www.giornatamondialedeibambini.org

• For further and personalized information, it is possible to write to direzione@gmb24.org

• Registration will involve a payment of 5 Euros per person which, besides representing

confirmation of registration, will be paid to a solidarity fund to support the poorest among

the participants.

Twinning

We have launched a twinning initiative to raise awareness and encourage Dioceses, Federations,

Movements, Groups and Associations to welcome and host children from the poorest and most

disadvantaged countries. To simplify this procedure, we have created a dedicated mailbox:

gemellaggi@gmb24.org . You can use this address for any necessary communication, information

or assistance.

Suggestions

I would like to say to you that any suggestion or proposal is truly valuable to us, so as to be able to

work better and in synergy.

May the Virgin Mary and mutual prayer accompany us.

Father Enzo Fortunato

Coordinator, World Children's Day

www.worldchildrenday.org
Piazza Pio XII, 3, 00120 Città del Vaticano