Pope Leo XIV marks the 30th anniversary of Popotus with a message to children on hope, peace, and preserving innocence in a digital age.
Newsroom (25/03/2026 Gaudium Press )In a letter celebrating the 30th anniversary of Popotus—the children’s supplement of Avvenire, the Italian bishops’ newspaper—Pope Leo XIV delivered a deeply reflective and human message. Addressing his thoughts “to the little ones” and, through them, to parents and teachers, the pontiff used the occasion to renew his call for simplicity of heart, peace, and wonder amid the anxieties of a war-threatened world.
Pope Leo began by recalling Christ’s words: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He invited readers to view this not as a call to regress, but as an invitation to rediscover the essence of life. “Being like children isn’t about going back,” he wrote, “but about holding a key to seeing the essence of everything, to finding surprising answers even to the most difficult questions.” Through the eyes of children, he suggested, humanity might once again awaken compassion and recover a moral clarity too often lost in the noise and cynicism of the modern age.
Restoring the World’s Beauty
To young readers of Popotus, the Holy Father offered both encouragement and responsibility. He told them that “restoring the world’s beauty is possible,” urging them to help adults see with fresh eyes the grace that still surrounds them. The Pope listed values that children must carry forward into their lives—trust, love, smiles, forgiveness, and peace. These, he wrote, are not fragile qualities but enduring strengths that can rebuild harmony where violence and anger dominate.
He reminded readers that the first generation of Popotus children are now adults, shaping the world in their own ways, yet the essential virtues of their youth remain vital foundations for enduring faith and humanity.
Lessons for Parents and Educators
Turning to parents and teachers, Pope Leo expressed deep gratitude for their commitment to raising children in love and curiosity. He underscored their role as witnesses to mutual learning, pointing out that “children educate us as we educate them.” In shaping the next generation, he said, adults must also safeguard childhood itself—preserving it from the distortions of an “inhumane understanding of information and education.”
Pope Leo called for a renewed sense of “lifelong education,” not merely as academic development, but as a means to retain the innocence and imagination that define human identity. To remain truly human, he added, “we must preserve a childlike perspective on reality.”
The Digital Challenge
The Pope’s remarks carried a pointed warning about technology and artificial intelligence. In a world increasingly influenced by digital systems, he urged caution against allowing technology to replace the essence of human connection. “We must not allow children to end up believing that they can find their best friends or the oracle of all knowledge in AI chatbots,” he cautioned. Such illusions, he warned, risk dulling intellect, empathy, and creativity—the very qualities that keep humanity alive and authentic.
His message was not one of rejection but of discernment. Technology, he implied, must serve human growth, not erode its foundations. The education of the future, in his vision, should teach young people to navigate the digital age with conscience and with the purity of those who “see the world with pure eyes.”
A Blessing for Popotus and the Future
Pope Leo XIV closed his letter by honoring the Popotus community—its readers, teachers, and editors—for their service over three decades. In celebrating the publication’s milestone, he positioned it as more than a children’s magazine: a symbol of hope, an instrument of Catholic education, and a bridge between generations. “Thank you for your service,” he concluded. “Happy anniversary.”
In a time overshadowed by war, division, and technological uncertainty, the Pope’s message offered a serene reminder: the path to renewal may yet lie in recovering the humility, wonder, and compassion of childhood—those rare virtues that transform not only individuals, but the world itself.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Avvenire
Related Images:
