Pope laments use of child labor at expense of basic education

Published: 2004-05-10

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II lamented the use of child laborers, especially at the expense of a child's basic education. After praying the "Regina Coeli" May 9 from his apartment window with pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square, the pope appealed for greater recognition of the rights of the world's children. "Unfortunately, many children in the world are deprived of primary education, and they end up being exploited as laborers," he said. He mentioned a world congress against child labor taking place in Florence, Italy, May 10-13, and said he hoped the meeting would "contribute to promoting the effective recognition of the rights of children." According to a 1998 study by the International Labor Organization, some 250 million children worldwide are engaged in economic activity with nearly one-half of them working full time. More than 170 million children are caught up in some of the worst forms of exploitation, including slavery, human trafficking, prostitution and armed service.

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