Galileo Foundation raising
awareness about human trafficking
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| Pope Francis greets John Mc Caffrey at the audience with the Galileo Foundation (Vatican Media) |
The Galileo Foundation is promoting Pope Francis’ aim of
ending human trafficking and modern slavery, according to its president and
philanthropist members.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis is calling on men and women around the world to
join in the fight against human trafficking.
He told a delegation of philanthropists and fundraisers of
the Galileo Foundation at the weekend that it is every Christian’s duty to
raise awareness of the plague of modern slavery.
John McCaffrey, President of the Galileo Foundation, and
Theresa Clark, a philanthropist Member, spoke to Vatican News’ Stefano
Leszczynski about how the Foundation is responding to the Pope’s call.
“We were born out of work that really began in the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences,” said Mr. McCaffrey.
Early on in his pontificate, Pope Francis asked the
Academy’s Chancellor, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, to examine the questions
of human trafficking, modern slavery, and the trafficking of organs, and to
work to end these scourges. Mr. McCaffrey said the bishop then asked him to
help raise funds for conferences and initiatives to raise awareness.
“It was a couple of years after that that we realized there
was a real appetite in the world to support this work,” he said.
Why Galileo?
Mr. McCaffrey noted that there is some curiosity surrounding
the choice of the Foundation’s name. “‘Wasn’t Galileo excommunicated?’, friends
ask me. And I always say, ‘No, he died happily in his bed.’ Of course, if you
really fell afoul of the Church in those days, you didn’t die happily in your
bed.”
The real reason they chose Galileo, Mr. McCaffrey said, was
that he was a founding member of the 16th century forerunner to
the Academy of Sciences. “It seemed like the right name, and it has really
found resonance with people around the world who want to support not only the
Pope and his projects but also this important connection and nexus between
faith and science and social science,” he said.
Strengthen institutional capacity
One of the Galileo Foundation’s goals, said Mr. McCaffrey,
is to strengthen the institutional capacity at the heart of the Church, “so
that it can carry out the mission of the Pope and mission of the Gospel.”
Pope Francis encouraged the Foundation’s work during their
private audience on Friday, he said, and invited them to bring joy into their
work.
Mr. McCaffrey said Catholic donors “love the Church and they
want to help.”
Philanthropy at the Pope’s service
Theresa Clark is an American nurse and member of the Galileo
Foundation. She said its mission to help the Pope with all his projects “is
something near and dear to our hearts.”
As a registered nurse, Ms. Clark said her calling is to take
care of people who lack their own voice. This personal mission, she said, is
“very much in line with the mission of the Galileo Foundation.”
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