His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the importance of caring for orphans and widows as an essential part of pure and acceptable religion before God, based on the Epistle of James (charitable deeds as a sign of pure religion). His Holiness Pope Shenouda III affirms that caring for orphans is not a luxury but a spiritual and social duty.

Types of orphans and their environments
The speaker explains that orphans appear in multiple forms: fatherless, motherless, or both lost, the poor who are like orphans because their families cannot support them, and foundlings who are discovered abandoned. Children inside shelters differ in age, social background, educational level, and psychological needs, making them a heterogeneous group that requires distinguished care.

Problems of shelters and mistakes in practice
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III warns of many mistakes practiced by some societies: using children’s photos and advertisements to attract donations which wounds the child’s psyche, exploiting children in musical bands or processions or events to earn money, imposing chores or assignments that demean their dignity, and harsh supervision or administration that cares for external appearance but neglects the psychological and emotional side.

Psychological and social aspects
He emphasizes that children deprived of the natural family atmosphere need psychological care, tenderness, a spirit of fatherhood and motherhood alongside material, educational, health, and recreational care. He mentions that some children feel shame or a “shelter” complex if known to be from a shelter, and this impression may accompany them for life if their psychology is not treated sensitively.

Practical suggestions and solutions
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III suggests removing the name “shelter” or changing its visible form to reduce the stigma, integrating children into regular schools without distinguishing them by a uniform, providing vocational qualification and internal institutes not declared as shelters, and coordinating efforts to provide alternative families or semi-family care where possible. He also points to the importance of organizing conferences and courses to train supervisors on psychological and educational aspects, not only administration and appearance.

Issues of young people leaving shelters after reaching age
He warns of the problem of leaving young people without housing or qualification when they reach the exit age (16–18) and become exposed to problems because the shelter “turns away” from them after a certain stage; therefore planning is necessary for the post-exit stage: education, work, continuous care or social follow-up.

Spiritual and educational dimension from a Coptic Orthodox faith perspective
The talk focuses on the necessity that orphan care include a spiritual dimension: providing a faithful environment and church spiritual care alongside upbringing and education, and that orphan care be treated as an act of love and service, not as a means to attract admiration or donations. A call that treatment be merciful and loving so that children open their hearts and heal from their wounds.

Call for dialogue and participation
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III concludes with a call to discuss the problems practically: gather experiences from shelter administrations, focus on psychology rather than administrative reports, and open the door for dialogue to exchange suggestions on how to remove the shelter complex and provide family care and qualification for graduated youth.

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