8 FEBRUARY 2015
In today's globalized world, the daily
commercialization and widespread exploitation of life for profit blind us and
prevent us from recognizing every person as our brother and sister and not as a
source of gain
.
From the beginning of his
Pontificate,Pope Francis has strongly
denounced the trafficking of human
beings, calling on all to fight the traffic and look after the victims. Let us
make the Holy Father’s plea
our own, as in his message for the
2015 World Day of Peace proclaimed, “Slaves no more, but brothers and
sisters”!”“
Human trafficking is a crime against
humanity. We must unite our efforts to free the victims and stop this
increasingly aggressive crime which threatens not only individuals but the
basic values of society and of international security and justice, to say
nothing of the economy, and the fabric of the family and our coexistence”.Pope
Francis, 12 December 2013
The phenomenon
Human trafficking is surely the
worst example of slavery in the XXI Century.This concerns the whole world.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), roughly 21 million people, often very poor
and
vulnerable, are victims of
trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour and begging, illegal organ
removal, domestic servitude, forced marriages, illegal adoption and other forms
of exploitation.
Each year, around 2.5 million people
are victims of trafficking and slavery, and 60 percent of them are women and
children. They often suffer abuse and unspeakable violence.
On the other hand, for traffickers
and pimps, this is one of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world,
generating a total of
$32 billion a year. It is the third
most profitable “business” after drugs and arms trafficking.What has the Church
been doing For many
years, the Catholic Church, and in
particular the congregations of women religious, have been working in many
parts of the world to raise awareness of this scourge, to prevent trafficking,
to denounce traffickers and exploiters and, above all, to help, protect and
liberate
the victims. Thanks to Pope Francis,
more attention is being given to the issue of human trafficking, and this has
also resulted in concrete actions and initiatives promoted by various
Vatican Departments.
OF PRAYER AND AWARENESS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Therefore, everyone is invited –dioceses,
parishes, religious congregations of men and of women, groups, movements,
associations, schools and families –to reflect and to pray. May God
illuminate the darkness caused by this
crime, and may humanity be freed of this evil.
You are invited to
visit the following website: “A LIGHT AGAINST HUMAN
TRAFFICKING”www.a-light-against-human.trafficking.info Please
participate by lighting up your part of the world, as a sign
of your
commitment to freedom and human dignity.This action will be
supported by Prayer Vigilscelebrated in different countries and, in Rome,will
culminate with participation at the Angelus with the Holy Father in St. Peter's
Square on Sunday 8 February, the feast of
St. Josephine Bakhita. She was a Sudanese slaveand set free,
became a Canossian Sister, and was declared aSaint in 2000.
Awareness and prayer will help us:
-to identify the causes of human trafficking;
- to map out an educational pathway;
-to promote the prevention of this scourge at all levels;
and
-to eradicate the exploitation of human life that destroys
the dignity of the person.
