By Devin Watkins, OSV News
VATICAN CITY Vatican News – Ahead of the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, Pope Leo XIV has condemned the scourge of modern slavery, which has taken even more disturbing forms in our online societies.
In his message for the day, which will be marked Feb. 8, the Pope renewed the Church’s “urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.” He focused on the Risen Christ’s greeting “Peace be with you,” saying these words offer “a path toward a renewed humanity.”
“True peace begins with the recognition and protection of the God-given dignity of every person,” he said. “Yet, in an age marked by escalating violence, many are tempted to seek peace through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion.”
Human beings, he lamented, are often considered mere collateral damage in war as they are sacrificed for political or economic interests.
Pope Leo said the same disregard for human life fuels human trafficking, since armed conflict and geopolitical instability create opportunities for traffickers to exploit people on the move.
“Within this broken paradigm, women and children are the most impacted by this heinous trade,” he said.
The Pope went on to note the rise in “cyber slavery,” which sees people lured into online schemes and criminal activities like drug smuggling and fraud.
“The victim is coerced into assuming the role of perpetrator, exacerbating their spiritual wounds,” he said. “These forms of violence are not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a culture that has forgotten how to love as Christ loves.”
In the face of such pain and societal challenges, Christians must turn to prayer and awareness, said Pope Leo.
Prayer, he noted, is the “small flame” that gives us strength to resist injustice and indifference, while awareness helps us identify and overcome exploitative systems in communities and digital spaces.
“Ultimately, the violence of human trafficking can be overcome only through a renewed vision that beholds every individual as a beloved child of God,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to the many people and networks that work to assist victims of human trafficking, some of whom are themselves survivors of the scourge.
In conclusion, the Pope entrusted the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking to the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita, whose life, he said, stands “as a powerful witness of hope in the Lord who loved her to the end.”
“Let us all join the journey toward a world where peace is not merely the absence of war, but is ‘unarmed and disarming,’ rooted in full respect for the dignity of all.”
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