Pope Francis invites us to look at Christ in the World Day against Trafficking

Pope Francis joins the XI World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking in Persons, which is celebrated tomorrow, February 8, with a hopeful message in which he encourages to raise “our gaze to Christ” and find in him the force And the light in the dark.

This day coincides with the liturgical memory of Santa Josefina Bakhita, a Sudanese religious who was a victim of trafficking as a child and that, according to the pontiff, “has become a symbol of our commitment against this terrible phenomenon”

In his message, the Holy Father wonders how you can “continue feeding hope” before the millions of people “trapped in this modern slavery.”

“Where do we get a new impulse to fight against the trade of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, forced labor, including prostitution, drug trafficking and weapons? How can we register all this in the world and not lose hope? ”Write below.

For the Pontiff, the answer is clear: “Only by raising our gaze to Christ, our hope, we can find the strength for a renewed commitment that does not be overcome by the dimension of problems and dramas, but strives into the dark For lighting light flames, which together can illuminate the night until dawn. ”

After posing their gaze on the young people who fight against trafficking, the Pontiff urges the faithful to become “Ambassadors of Hope” and “act together, with tenacity and love”, being next to the victims and survivors.

“With the help of God, we can avoid getting used to injustice, getting away from the temptation to think that certain phenomena cannot be eradicated,” he says.

In this context, it emphasizes that the Lord “sustains us to promote with courage and efficiency initiatives aimed at weakening and counteract the economic and criminal mechanisms that benefit from trafficking and exploitation.”

“He teaches us first of all,” he adds, “to listen to people who have been victims of trafficking, with closeness and compassion, to help them stand up, recover and, along with them, identify the best ways to free others and prevention. ”

He also regrets that the trafficking phenomenon is fed by wars and the consequences of climate change. Therefore, he reiterates that “global responses and a common effort to all levels” are required to counteract it.

In this sense, it urges the representatives of governments and organizations to share this commitment, encouraged by prayer, “to promote initiatives in defense of human dignity, by the elimination of human beings trafficking in all their forms and for the promotion of peace in the world. ”

Finally, relying on the intercession of Santa Bakhita, expresses his hope that trafficking and exploitation “are proscribed” and that respects respect for fundamental human rights, “in the fraternal recognition of our common humanity.”