At the Angelus on Sunday, His Holiness Pope Francis drew attention to the “plague” of human trafficking, and called on government leaders to confront the causes of the trade in human beings. Recalling the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, which takes place on the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the Pontiff said the motto for this year’s observance — “Together against Human Trafficking” — is “an invitation to join forces to overcome this challenge”.
As reported by Vatican news, The Pontiff insisted, “Prayer is the force that sustains our common commitment” to ending trafficking. He led the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square in a prayer to St Josephine, who had herself suffered as a slave before her conversion to Christianity.
At a press Conference, Jesuit Father Frédéric Fornos noted His Holiness Pope Francis’ strong commitment “to the fight against this scourge in its different expressions”. It is a “drama”, he said, that the Holy Father has had “in heart and in prayer for a long time”.
