Pope Francis Meets with Autistic Children and Says "Each one of us is also beautiful in God's eyes, and He loves us."

GREETING FROM THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

TO THE LITTLE GUESTS OF THE
“AUTISMUSZENTRUM SONNENSCHEIN ST. PÖLTEN "(AUSTRIA)

Pope Francis on Monday received in the Vatican a group of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who are being treated at a clinic in St. Polten, Austria. (VaticanNews)

Sala Clementina
Monday, 21 September 2020

Dear children, dear parents,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I welcome you here to the Vatican. I am happy to see your faces, and I see in your eyes that you too are happy to be with me for a while.

Your house is called " Sonnenschein ", meaning "the splendor of the sun". I can imagine why the people in charge chose this name. Because your house looks like a magnificent flower meadow in the splendor of the sun, and the flowers of this house are you! God created the world with a great variety of flowers of all colors. Each flower has its own beauty, which is unique. Each one of us is also beautiful in God's eyes, and He loves us. This makes us feel the need to say to God: thank you! Thanks for the gift of life, thanks for all creatures! Thanks for mom and dad! Thanks for our families! And thanks also for the friends of the “ Sonnenschein ” Center !

This saying "thank you" to God is a beautiful prayer. God likes this way of praying. Then you can also add a small question. For example: Good Jesus, could you help mom and dad in their work? Could you give some comfort to grandma who is sick? Could you provide for children all over the world who have no food? Or: Jesus, please help the Pope lead the Church well. If you ask in faith, the Lord certainly listens to you.

Finally, I express my gratitude to your parents, to those accompanying you, to the President of the Region and to all those present. Thank you for this beautiful initiative and for the commitment in favor of the little ones entrusted to you. Everything you did to one of these, you did to Jesus!

I remember you in my prayer. Jesus bless you always and Our Lady protect you.

Und bitte vergesst nicht, für mich zu beten. Diese Arbeit ist nicht einfach. Betet für mich bitte. Danke schön!