Pope's
Peace Day message highlights work of sisters against human trafficking
(Vatican Radio) On January 1st each year the Church marks the
World Day of Peace, a tradition begun by Pope Paul VI who held the first such
observance in January 1968. This year Pope Francis has chosen to focus his
second World Peace Day message on the theme of modern slavery and trafficking,
with the title “Slaves no more, but Brothers and Sisters”.
The annual message is
drawn up with the help of the Pontifical Justice and Peace Council, whose
officials present the message at a press conference in December. Given the
pioneering work that religious women around the world have been doing to combat
trafficking, speakers presenting this year’s message also included sisters
who’ve been on the front line of the Church’s battle against slavery for the past
two decades. Philippa Hitchen reports……
Sisters on the front line of the fight against modern slavery
were guest speakers in the Vatican press office, sharing their personal
experience of working with trafficked victims in Italy, India, Brazil, Nigeria
and Costa Rica. They included Sr Gabriella Bottani, the new head of the
‘Talitha Kum’ international network of sisters against trafficking, who spoke
of the particular role that Pope Francis has highlighted for women working to
raise awareness of this modern form of slavery.
She noted that this
year’s message stresses the need for a widespread mobilisation of all people of
good will to combat this growing phenomenon, urging us not to turn away and
become accomplices to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. Also giving
first hand testimony of the work her sisters are doing to support victims and
prosecute the traffickers was Sr Sharmi D’Souza from India.
She said the sisters
go with the police on raids in the brothels and rescue the girls, for example,
in one raid, she said they rescued 37 girls, of whom 11 were working as
underage prostitutes. From these girls, she said, they are able to find out all
the details of who the traffickers are and where they work, so that her lawyer
sisters have already helped to put 30 traffickers in jail.
Sr Sharmi also
appealed for the “bishops, priests and pastors” to stand with the sisters and
help them in the grass roots work they’re doing in so many countries around the
world. I asked the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,
Cardinal Peter Turkson how he can encourage more Church leaders to take up this
challenge?
He said the Peace Day
Messages are sent via the nuncios to bishops around the world and he encouraged
them to constitute study groups to respond to the call of the message. If
Christmas and New Year are not a good time to do this, he said, choose another
time of year – as India has done – to celebrate and raise awareness around this
theme.
In particular the
cardinal suggested the date of February 8th, feast day of the Sudanese slave
girl, Saint Josephine Bakhita which the Church has designated a day of prayer
for all victims of slavery and trafficking.
In the message Pope
Francis mentions so many ways in which people continue to be enslaved and
exploited today: in domestic or agricultural work, in the manufacturing or
mining industry, migrants living and working in inhuman conditions, child
soldiers, women forced into arranged marriages, and those trafficked for organ
transplants, drug smuggling, begging or other illegal activities. As well as
praising the “silent efforts” of so many religious to support and rehabilitate
the victims, the Pope also calls for “a shared commitment” by States,
businesses, intergovernmental organisations and individuals to “offer hope,
open doors” and help combat this intolerable crime against humanity.
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