Catholic Care for Children in Uganda (CCCU) was honored to participate in a global initiative under the theme From Crisis to Care: Catholic Action for Children through in-person participation in Rome, which took place from 2nd to 6th February 2026 at Hotel Il Cantico.
The gathering sought to deepen collective commitment and action in responding to children in crisis, advocating for their rights and dignity, and accompanying them in developing resilience despite the serious challenges they face. This came in response to Pope Francis’s call for concrete action following the International Summit on Children’s Rights: Love Them and Protect Them, which Pope Francis convened on 3 February 2025.
Around 70 Catholic leaders and organizations in Child Care Mission from nineteen countries across the globe attended the gathering with the aim of co-developing a Catholic-inspired Global Action Plan that strengthens families and communities, safeguards the dignity of every child, and promotes their holistic development.
Represented by Sr. Euphrasia Masika, DST, National Director of Catholic Care for Children in Uganda, CCCU was specifically invited to share with the participants its success in reintegrating children back into families, which has been deeply commendable.
In inviting CCCU to share, the Steering Committee of the convening stated that CCCU and the Association of Religious’ work and unwavering commitment to children’s well-being and the vitality of the Church’s ministries make their voice and perspective especially valuable to the process of developing a global action plan.
At the end of the meeting, members identified five key priority areas for collective action to strengthen the protection, dignity, and well-being of children, youth, and families:
- Unified advocacy – calling on the Church and society to work together to promote children’s rights through education, policy engagement, and a common voice that influences laws and strengthens child protection frameworks.
- Networking – fostering collaboration among local Churches, religious congregations, Catholic-inspired organizations, civil society, governments, multilateral institutions, academia, and the private sector to break down silos and advance shared goals.
- Centering children in the Church’s mission – ensuring strong safeguarding policies, accountability, and a culture of transparency and care. As highlighted by Pope Leo XIV, communities must actively protect minors and promote dignity through the prevention of abuse, honest accountability, and trust-building.
- Formation and capacity building – strengthening families, communities, and Church-related institutions to better support children’s holistic development.
- Inclusion and engagement – ensuring that children and youth participate in decisions affecting them, with particular attention to amplifying the voices of those who are vulnerable or living with disabilities.
Audience with the Pope
One of the highlights of the gathering was an audience with Pope Leo XIV, who in his address to the participants strongly lamented the lack of global progress in protecting minors. He urged immediate action to stop the exploitation, poverty, and abuse of children, emphasizing their right to love and safe environments. Pope Leo questioned whether global priorities have shifted away from the most vulnerable and wondered whether “global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside,” as many children continue to live in extreme poverty, suffer abuse, are forcibly displaced, lack education, and are “isolated or separated from their families.”
