That statement is correct. Many of us are disobedient children, even evil children but His nonetheless.
Actually it’s not.
All people are God’s creation, but only born again Christians can have the luxury of being called His children. It’s a grave error to think that an Islamist, Atheist, or anybody else dead in sin is a child of God.
Francis doesn’t know the Bible, which isn’t surprising.
John 1:12
1 John 3:1-10
Galatians 3:26
Galatians 4:5-6
Ephesians 1:5
Romans 8:14-17
Unrighteous children:
John 8:42 & 8:44
1 John 3:10
Not as meaning spiritual children, as distinct from "offspring of God" (Acts 17:29) as regards being part of creation. Instead, until you are born from above via wholehearted repentant faith in the risen Lord Jesus to save you on His account, with the faith which effects obedience, then I"Ye are of your father the devil , and the lusts of your father ye will do." (John 8:44) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath , even as others. (Ephesians 2:3) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:10) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one ; (Matthew 13:38) And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil , thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:10) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)