The Holy See and the Catholic Church are deeply committed in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, both in tackling the drivers that fuel the scourge and in reaching out to victims. His Grace Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York made the statement at a conference at the UN on “Practical Solutions to Eradicate Human Trafficking”.
As reported by Vatican news, The Holy See diplomat noted that “despite substantial progress against human trafficking through various initiatives, the number of those enslaved for sexual exploitation, forced labour or organ harvesting sadly continues to skyrocket. According to Pope Francis, the gap between our commitments and efforts and the horrors confronting victims of this “atrocious scourge,” “crime against humanity,” and “open wound on the body of contemporary society,” is increasing, not closing. Hence “solemn commitments” alone will not help, but we must ensure they are truly effective.”
Among the drivers that make people vulnerable to human trafficking, the Filipino archbishop said, armed conflicts and the refugee crisis have particularly exacerbated the dramatic situation of people, especially women and children. Catholic women’s religious communities in many countries, His Grace Archbishop Auza said, have been among the practical leaders on the ground in this most important work.
Source: Vatican news
