Vatican official calls on Christians, Buddhists to help children

Published: 2004-04-29

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians and Buddhists must address the needs of children, especially those who have been abandoned, abused by adults, or are affected by HIV/AIDS, said a top Vatican official. "As religious believers we must turn our gaze to the needs of children, in our own families and in society as a whole," Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald said in an annual message to Buddhists. The Vatican released the message April 29 as Buddhists worldwide prepared for the May 4 feast of Vesakh, which commemorates the principal events in the life of Buddhism's founder, Siddhartha Gautama. Archbishop Fitzgerald, who heads the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said children must be "protected, loved and educated."

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