Everyone is beautiful in God's eyes, Pope Francis tells children with autism spectrum disorder

Pope Francis told children with autism spectrum disorder on Monday that everyone is beautiful in God's eyes.

The Pope welcomed the children of the Ambulatorium Sonnenschein in St. Pölten, Austria, to the Vatican on 21 September.

He said: “God created the world with a wide variety of flowers of all kinds of colors. Each flower has its own beauty, which is unique. Also, each of us is beautiful in God's eyes and He loves us. This makes us feel the need to say to God: thank you! "

The children were accompanied to the audience in the Vatican's Clementine Hall by their parents, as well as by Johanna Mikl-Leitner, governor of Lower Austria, and by Bishop Alois Schwarz of St. Pölten. St. Pölten is the largest city and capital of Lower Austria, one of the country's nine states.

Ambulatorium Sonnenschein, or Sunshine Outpatient Clinic, was founded in 1995 to support children with developmental disorders that affect communication and behavior. The center has treated more than 7.000 young people since its opening.

The pope told the children that saying "thank you" to God was "a beautiful prayer".

He said, “God likes this way of praying. So you can also add a little question. For example: good Jesus, could you help my mother and father in their work? Could you give some comfort to grandma who is sick? Could you provide for children all over the world who have no food? Or: Jesus, please help the Pope to lead the Church well “.

“If you ask in faith, the Lord will surely listen to you,” he said.

Pope Francis had already met children with autism spectrum disorders in 2014. On that occasion, he said that by offering greater support "we can help break down the isolation and, in many cases, the stigma that weighs on people with spectrum disorders. autistic, and just as often as their families. "

Promising to pray for all those associated with the Sonnenschein Ambulatorium, the Pope concluded: “Thank you for this beautiful initiative and for your commitment to the little ones entrusted to you. Everything you did for one of these little ones, you did it to Jesus! "