The Church has been making a strong statement against human trafficking for the past nine years, centred around the celebration of Saint Josephine Bakhita, who was rescued from slavery in her youth, on February 8th, the liturgical memorial of the Saint.
The Claretian Family, which has been preparing and sharing materials to celebrate the day together for years, has already distributed this year’s proposal for reflection and prayer, organized by the Cordimarian Missionary Sisters. The material, besides biblical and Claretian references and prayer aids, offers basic information on the current reality of trafficking in the world and invites us to take action.
Suggesting four possibilities:
(i) to know better the reality of trafficking in the country where one life;
(ii) to promote formation on this plague and the creation of tools that allow detecting those who suffer it;
(iii) to know better the organizations that fight the problem and help its victims;
(iv) to adopt initiatives of closeness and attention to the most vulnerable persons.
Days before, the prefectures of the apostolate of the Congregation distributed a prayer that could be used on the 8th and disseminated the pastoral guidelines proposed to combat trafficking by the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
As Christians, as missionaries, and as men, we Claretian Missionaries feel particularly affected by this problem. Sadly, there are many places where unjust situations such as these mobilize only or mainly women, who represent a very high percentage of the direct victims. When violence is exercised against women, men (including religious men) are uniquely called upon to react. Human trafficking, described by Pope Francis as a “shameful scourge, unworthy of a society,” often involves forced prostitution, but also labor exploitation, organ trafficking, and begging have unfortunately increased in recent years.
The Claretian Family is spreading the word about the various events and initiatives organized by the Talitha Kum network. This network, powered by women in religious life, has brought together more than 90 nations and thousands of individuals to support those impacted by human trafficking. In recent years, the efforts of Talitha Kum have helped over 300,000 people. To continue their mission, the network has planned a series of activities throughout the month of February, with a global prayer marathon taking place on February 8th, where participants from all corners of the world will come together in prayer.
For more information:
Both pages are available in English, French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish.
