“We must not tolerate the shameful exploitation of so many of our sisters and brothers,” Pope Francis told a delegation from Talitha Kum, a Catholic network of religious sisters who combat human trafficking through prevention, advocacy, and survivor support.
The Pope also met with organizers of the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking on Friday.
“Trafficking in human bodies, the sexual exploitation even of small children and forced labour are a disgrace and a very serious violation of fundamental human rights,” he said.
The 11th International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking takes place on Saturday, Feb. 8, the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, “a victim of this terrible social scourge.”
St. Bakhita’s story, the Pope underscored in his discourse, “gives us strength and shows us that with the Lord’s grace, it is possible for those who suffered injustice and violence to shatter their chains, to go free and to become messengers of hope to others in difficult situations.”
Addressing those present, the Holy Father decried human trafficking as “a global phenomenon that claims millions of victims and continues unabated.”
“It continually finds new ways,” he lamented, “to infiltrate our societies the world over.”
In the face of this tragedy, the Pope appealed, “we must not remain indifferent. Like yourselves, we need to unite our forces and our voices, calling upon everyone to accept responsibility for combating this form of crime that profits from the most vulnerable.”
Thanking Talitha Kum for its service in particular, Pope Francis said, “I am pleased to meet you and to join you in your daily commitment to put an end to human trafficking.”
“I know,” he acknowledged, “that you are an international group, and some of you have traveled very far for this week of prayer and awareness against human trafficking.”
In a special way, the Pope expressed his appreciation to the youth ambassadors, who, he acknowledged, continue to find new ways of raising awareness of, and providing information about, “the evil” of human trafficking.
In this context, he called on organizations and individuals in this network to continue to work together, making victims and survivors their “primary concern, listening to their stories, caring for their wounds, and enabling them to make their voices heard in society at large.”
“That,” he underscored, “is what it means to be ambassadors of hope, and it is my hope that during this Jubilee Year many others will follow your example.”
Pope Francis concluded by imparting his Apostolic Blessing, reassuring them of his prayers, and asking them to pray for him.
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