Pope Leo XIV has announced that the second World Children’s Day will take place in Rome from September 25–27, 2026, inviting young people and their families from across the globe to gather in a spirit of faith, unity, and hope.
The Holy Father shared the news during his Wednesday General Audience, where he personally blessed and signed a flag featuring the official logo for the upcoming event. “My thoughts go to children, whom I will have the joy of encountering on the Day dedicated to them, which is scheduled for September 25–27, 2026,” he said as he greeted the faithful, according to Vatican News.
A symbolic moment unfolded when a 7-year-old boy from Gaza, Majd Bernard, presented the flag to the Pope alongside Fr. Enzo Fortunato, OFM Conv., President of the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, according to the same report. The gesture reflected the event’s universal mission: to gather children from every corner of the world for an experience rooted in encounter, prayer, and celebration.
According to the Committee’s press release cited by Vatican News, the three-day gathering aims to create “a moment of encounter, prayer, and celebration involving children and their families from all over the world.” The initiative continues the Church’s desire to highlight the dignity and spiritual needs of the youngest members of the human family.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, emphasized the Church’s commitment to fostering peace in the lives of children. “Children must be shown the beauty of peace—peace lived first of all within their families, in the places they frequent, and in the whole world,” he said, according to Vatican News. He noted that young people “understand well the value of peace and suffer greatly when they sense tension and conflict around them, starting with their parents or in their surroundings.”
Cardinal Farrell also expressed his hope that the upcoming gathering will offer “a beautiful opportunity for the Church to show closeness to children and their families, giving them hope and joy,” according to the same report.
The newly revealed logo for the 2026 celebration carries deep symbolism. Featuring seven small footprints—representing the seven continents—it evokes the “simple and authentic gestures of childhood, a sign of the universality and purity of the little ones,” according to the press release. The vibrant colors symbolize the diversity of cultures and the harmony that arises when those differences are welcomed and cherished. The Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica arches over the design in a gesture of protection, with the cross pointing to the passion and Resurrection of Christ.
The first World Children’s Day in 2024 gathered an estimated 100,000 children from 101 nations, according to Vatican News. The Church seeks to build on that momentum in 2026, renewing what the press release describes as a commitment “to listening to and valuing the voices of the little ones, protagonists of a world that longs for peace, welcome, and a future.”
As preparations begin for the Rome event, Pope Leo XIV’s message is clear: the Church’s embrace of children is not symbolic but deeply pastoral, focusing on their spiritual formation, their longing for peace, and their central role in shaping tomorrow’s world.
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