Dear Pope Francis, a children’s book featuring Pope Francis’ answers to 30 questions asked by children, will be released next Tuesday, March 1.
As Vatican Radio reported, the United States-based Jesuit publishing house Loyola Press approached Pope Francis about the idea for the book last year, and received a positive response.
They then asked Jesuits from around the world to collect questions from children aged 6-13, including Catholics and non-Catholics. They also asked the children to send drawings, which are included in the book.
They received 259 questions from 26 countries in 14 languages. The book’s editor, Fr. Paul Campbell, SJ, then sat down with a committee and chose the questions to send the Pope.
“One of the lines we use to describe this book is: Little children have big questions,” Fr. Campbell told Vatican Radio. Though the questions are from little children, the Jesuit said, “they are very, very profound questions.”
“The Holy Father was very clear that it was terribly difficult to answer these questions,” he explained.
For example, Fr. Campbell noted: “I believe it was William from the United States who asked the question if you could cause one miracle…what would it be? And the Holy Father said ‘to stop the suffering of children.'”
The priest said it “is very clear to me that the Holy Father’s heart is full of compassion for those who suffer.”
—
See full report at Vatican Radio: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02/24/pope_francis_answers_questions_from_children_in_new_book/1210824
