Pope Francis has convened a high-level summit to demand that children be protected from war, forced labor, trafficking and exploitation.

Pope Francis and leaders from around the world are meeting at the Vatican this week to discuss the rights of children — including the unborn.

Pope Francis on Monday decried the deaths of children in global conflicts, telling a Vatican summit that "nothing is worth the life of a child". Francis, who has been critical of both Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the ongoing violence of the Russia-Ukraine war,