Vatican City: A touching moment unfolded aboard the papal flight to Algeria when young patients from the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital sent a special drawing to Pope Leo XIV as he began his journey to Africa.
The drawing, presented by Vatican journalists during the traditional greeting on the plane, was filled with color and hope. It showed Pope wearing glasses and carrying a backpack marked “Vangelo,” meaning Gospel, as he set out on a journey alongside children.
In the picture, the children are placing building blocks, symbolizing their role as builders of peace. Through this simple yet powerful image, the young patients expressed their support and prayers for the Pope as he travels to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
Pope received the gift with a warm smile and thanked the children for their thoughtful gesture.
The drawing was created in the hospital’s playroom, a lively space where children undergoing treatment, their families, and caregivers come together. It is a place where people from different religions and backgrounds meet, talk, and find comfort during difficult times.
The hospital has played an important role in caring for children affected by conflict. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, it has welcomed more than 2000 young patients. In recent years, children from Gaza have also received treatment there, including those needing complex medical care.
Through art and shared activities, the hospital encourages children to grow with values of peace and understanding. In their message to Pope, the children wrote that they stand with him as builders of peace and asked both children and adults not to argue.
Their message reflects a simple but powerful hope that even in a world marked by conflict, peace can begin with small acts of kindness and unity.