You’re right, that would have been a much better (and kinder) answer for that child than what he was told by the Pope. I think we wouldn’t have heard a word about it had he done so.
Do you get the impression that Pope Francis imagines whatever comes out of his mouth has an automatic infallibility to it by nature of his position? Like he can say no wrong?
But the maddening thing is, he never comes out in a straight, clear, and honest manner to propose his ponderous piffle. He just pops in with off-the-cuff remarks to the press at 35,000 feet, ambiguous footnotes, parenthetical whimsies, inscrutable koans, stage whispers to the kiddies, or winks and nods to his senile atheist buddies.
Either he's quite a dim bulb, or there is method in his muddle and he's just trying to provide himself with plausible deniability.
Either way, there's nothing there that should inspire your respect, or mine either.