This love story began in 1982, in Geneva, in a conversation between James Grant, executive director of Unicef and the Cardinal Archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, during a ONU meeting. Mr. James Grant was convinced that the church could save thousands of children, if the mothers were taught simple actions like preparing an oral rehydration solution made at home to prevent dehydration.

The Cardinal Paulo, my brother, called me to talk about the proposal of James Grant. I felt I was called by God for a great life mission. I explained to him that according to my experience in public health as a paediatrician and sanitarian medical doctor, it would be not enough to teach the mothers to use the oral rehydration solution. It would also be necessary to teach them about pre-natal checks, breastfeeding, nutritional vigilance and vaccination, so they would know how to take care of their children for them to “grow in wisdom and grace” (Luke 2:52).


The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) approved the proposal and appointed the Archbishop of Londrina at that time, Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, currently the Cardinal Primaz of São Salvador da Bahia, to follow the development of the work.

The slogan chosen was “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10.. The pilot-project was implemented in Florestópolis, municipality belonging to the Archdiocese of Londrina, in the north of the state of Paraná, which had a high mortality rate, 127 deaths per one thousand children born alive.

I have developed a community methodology inspired by the Gospel of the two fish and five loaves (John 6:1-15), that would feed as many as five thousand men, without counting women and children. It is the simple and cheap actions of education and promotion of health, faith and citizenship performed by volunteer leaders, who organize the communities into family groups with pregnant women and children younger than six years old, and with whom they share knowledge and solidarity. These actions also contribute to strengthen the social tissue and to improve public policies mainly in the areas of health and education, promoting the reduction of social difference, child and mother mortality, malnourishment and violence.

The conquest of a fair and fraternal world is born in the heart of every person and in the positive attitudes towards the neighbour, mainly the children. One of each community members is to be available for volunteer work. The Pastoral da Criança (Child’s Pastoral), since its foundation, is inclusive, ecumenical and beyond religion. It does not make distinction of race, complexion, political party or any other. Here in Brazil there are more than 246.215 thousand volunteers. Each month, they follow 1.689.243 million of children under the age of six years, pregnant women from 1.4 million families, in 40,853 communities and 4,016 municipalities. The Pastoral da Criança International is present in 20 other countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Its extraordinary results are due to the methodology that joins Faith and Life, to the promotion of women, to the non-centralized qualification system, to the Information System, to the quality of the education material and others. The sum of efforts and the partnerships ensure the sustainability of the actions. In Brazil, the Child’s Pastoral relies on the financial support of the Federal Government through the Department of Health which, since 1985, has been the main financer. For its credibility the Program also won support of the state and municipal governments, companies and others. In the same way it helped Brazil from the outset.

Unicef is usually one of the first entities to support and help the Pastoral da Criança financially when it is initiated in a new country. There is still much to be done! The Millennium Declaration, approved by the United Nations in September 2000, established eight targets to be reached by 2015. Among these is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the reduction of child mortality and an increase in autonomy for women. These objectives can only be accomplished with the combined efforts of religions, governments, non-governmental organizations, companies, communication media and society in general.

The Pastoral da Criança of Brazil contributed to these objectives disseminating its mission of Faith and Life when it expanded its methodology and experience of 26 years to other countries.


Promoting the full development of the children, from the mother’s womb to the age of six in his/her family and community context, means participating in the construction of a fairer and fraternal world in the service of life and hope.

Dr. Zilda Arns Neumann

Founder of the Pastoral da Criança International

* 08.25.1934 - Forquilhinha/SC - Brazil

† 01.12.2010 - Port Prince - Haiti