Vatican
City, 3 February 2015 (VIS) – This morning a press conference was
held in the Holy See Press Office to present the first International
Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. The Day will
be held on 8 February, the feast day of Sudanese slave St. Josephine
Bakhita who, after being freed, became a Canossian Sister and was
canonised in 2000, and will be entitled: “A light against human
trafficking”. The Day is promoted by the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Pontifical
Council “Justice and Peace” and the International Union of
Superiors General (UISG).
The
conference was attended by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the
Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies
of Apostolic Life; Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
Peoples; and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the
Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”. The other speakers were
Sister Carmen Sammut, MSOLA, president of the International Union of
Superiors General; Sister Gabriella Bottani, SMC, coordinator of
Talitha Kum (the International Network of Consecrated Life against
Trafficking in Persons); Sister Valeria Gandini, SMC; and Sister
Imelda Poole IBVM, coordinator of the European Talitha Kum network.
Cardinal
Turkson, speaking in English, reiterated that “millions of people
today – children, women and men of all ages – are deprived of
freedom and are forced to live in conditions akin to slavery. For
those who cry out – usually in silence – for liberation, St
Josephine Bakhita is an exemplary witness of hope. We, victims and
advocates alike, could do no better than be inspired by her life and
entrust our efforts to her intercession”.
He
continued, “the Holy Father invites us all to recognise that we are
facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any one
community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a
mobilisation comparable in size to that of the phenomenon itself”.
The prelate explained that the International Day against Human
Trafficking constitutes “a mobilisation of awareness and prayer on
a global scale. Our awareness must expand and extend to the very
depths of this evil and its farthest reaches … from awareness to
prayer … from prayer to solidarity … and from solidarity to
concerted action, until slavery and trafficking are no more”.
On
the occasion of this first day of prayer and reflection, all
dioceses, parishes, associations, families and individuals are
invited to reflect and pray in order to cast light on this crime, as
indicated by the theme of the initiative. In addition, prayer vigils
will be held in different countries, culminating in the Angelus
prayer in St. Peter's Square on 8 February.
On
the day, the faithful are invited to recite the following prayer:
“O
God, when we hear of children and adults
deceived
and taken to unknown places for
purposes
of sexual exploitation, forced labour, and
organ
‘harvesting’, our hearts are saddened and
our
spirits angry that their dignity and rights are
ignored
through threats, lies, and force.
We
cry out against the evil practice of this modern
slavery,
and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.
Give
us wisdom and courage to reach out and
stand
with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits
have
been so wounded, so that together we may
make
real your promises to fill these sisters and
brothers
with a love that is tender and good.
Send
the exploiters away empty-handed to be
converted
from this wickedness, and help us all to
claim
the freedom that is your gift to your
children.
Amen”.
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