Welcome back to my story.

The one experience that all humans have in life is our childhood. For many children then and now, childhood is a difficult experience, and for some, a tragic one. When I was on earth, I had a happy childhood. We were poor, but by father Joseph was a carpenter, so was I, but as a 13-year-old or so, I was adventurous and very excited to go to Jerusalem for the great feast of Passover. I went to the temple and got separated from my parents. There I became absorbed with the discussions in the temple courtyard with the teachers of the law called Scribes and the elders. 

I asked a lot of questions to them, and I gave my opinions. They were all amazed and listened to what a 13-year-old had to say about the Scriptures and God’s plan for humankind. They showed me much respect. In the culture at that time, a child was not highly respected and considered of little importance. For me to be listened to was a powerful experience. I knew one day I would become a teacher and leader. I was waiting for my parents to come and fetch me, so I slept there for three days. I was unaware that my parents were frantically looking for me; I presumed they knew where I was. 

In those days and until 1989, few leaders cared much about protecting children; society did not acknowledge that children had inviolable rights and shared human dignity equally, even more than equal, in society and the Family of God. I taught about the rights and place of children in the kingdom, or in the family of God; like many other values, that teaching was ignored, covered up, and forgotten. 

One day my disciples were stopping the parents from approaching me with their children for a blessing. I was angry at them because that was wrong; they did not follow my instructions to allow all people to approach me equally; they did not absorb the values I taught about the dignity and the rights of children. 

Then on another occasion I taught the disciples about being as innocent as children. Matthew wrote down what I said when I invited a child to stand before them all. “I can assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child, and whoever welcomes in my name one such child welcomes me.” Becoming as innocent as a child is a high standard but something to be striven for. Besides, I identify myself with the innocent child. You abuse a child, you abuse me; you save and protect a child, you are saving and protecting me. We are one together. 

The most important instruction I taught, one that most people, especially bishops and clergy, ignore, is about the evil of the abuse of children. The child abusers must be held accountable. Matthew wrote it down in chapter 18:6, “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea.” I made it very clear: there can be no tolerance or ignoring of the abuse of children; it is a terrible crime. And I also said, How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith; such things will always happen, but how terrible for the one that causes them.”

There are those people that choose to abuse children and hurt them. Others in authority allow the children to be abused. Some church authorities ignore the dignity of the child victims and protect the abusers. I assure you how terrible it is for the one that causes and allows the abuse to happen. Justice demands that they be held accountable before the civil law. The child abusers are called upon to confess and admit their sins against children and accept penance. When I say they should have a large stone tied around their neck, I mean that is the stone of evidence and guilt and wrongdoing, and they must be plunged into the deep sea of justice where they will answer for the crimes against children. 

Think about this and take action; never cover up knowledge of child abuse; report any acts of child abuse to any person you trust. The truth will set the children free of fear, pain, and hurt, and your duty is to make it happen and see justice is done for the children.

Share this with others and come again and learn the truth, Jesus.