The Orthodox Church and the rights of children

Abstract

Children’s rights are an integral part of the normative catalog of human rights in the form of internationally recognized documents ratified by almost all countries. Since the era of the Enlightenment, children have been identified as bearers of a unique and vulnerable social identity. Children first received legal protection at the beginning of 1924, and with the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959 by adopting a document of the same name. Finally, the complete form of protection of children’s rights is expressed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child from 1989. with accompanying Protocols. The Orthodox Church welcomes the defined care of international institutions for the necessity of legal protection of children. Lord Jesus Christ and His Church have always held a warm and benevolent attitude towards children, recognizing in them unique persons and beings worthy of God’s grace and salvation. The Orthodox Church is open to contributing to a better and more adequate position of children in the modern world with its age-old pastoral and missionary methods based on God’s love for humanity and in cooperation with state institutions.