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| Street kid. (Getty Images) |
Today for Sunday Mass, Deacon Alfi D'Cruz gave sermon stirring humanistic values on the theme of Holy Childhood. He began by placing before the laity the disturbing facts that during the lockdown a number of children were abused. To add to this, absence of regular employment has forced many children to look for work to add to the family income.
Deacon D'Cruz cited the case of a father who was about to sell his 3-month-old daughter because he could not support her. He had not informed his wife. The child was saved through the intervention of kindly people.
In today's online learning scenario many children feel pressurized if they do not have connectivity or do not own a smartphone.
Dcn. D'Cruz rued the fact that there is no data available on child abuse in India.
Deacon Alfi alluded to the Gospel reading from Genesis 22 where Abraham is willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac. He explored the relationship between a parent and a child.
Holy Childhood Day was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1950. It is laudable that the Church has set aside a day to commemorate the Holy Childhood. However, in the season of Lent, the specificity of the occasion goes largely unnoticed. Further, different dioceses in India observe Holy Childhood day on different days. A link on the internet suggests that Holy Childhood Day was celebrated in Agassaim, Goa on 14th February 2021. Abroad, some churches observe it on 12th February.
What is more well-known in India is Children's Day on 14th November. Both the days call upon the people to remember children, the struggles they go through and the threat to their lives. Trafficking goes on unabated and these silent sufferers bear the brunt.
A recent report observed that six children are abused every week in Goa.* Highest number of cases are from North Goa and girls are more affected than boys. One-third of the children are from the 11-15 age group.
India has the largest number of children in the world, i.e. 472 million (2020). More efforts must be taken to recognize the context of child abuse and its societal factors. More hands must stretch out to give them a proper childhood and to restore their dignity. The Church and civil authorities must work hand in hand to root out this menace.
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*Times News Network. Online. 29 June 2020.
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