VATICAN CITY -- Children are a blessing for humanity and for the Church, bringing new life and energy to families and society, Pope Francis said.
Unfortunately, he said, too often children are society's "great rejected ones, because they aren't even allowed to be born!"
Continuing a series of general audience talks about the family March 18, Pope Francis said it was troubling that so many European countries have a birthrate so low that their populations are declining or would without immigration.
