John Paul II made his appeal following the «Global March Against Child Labor,» held in Italy on Saturday. The purpose of the march was to sensitize public opinion to the problem of the exploitation of minors.
After canonizing five new saints in St. Peter´s Square in the Vatican on Sunday, the Pontiff said, with reference to the march, that he hoped «this initiative» would be «a propitious occasion to seek effective ways to solve this intolerable phenomenon.»