Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

Speaking to judges and prosecutors at a Vatican summit on human trafficking and modern slavery on June 3, Pope Francis said, “You are responsible for executing justice,” the ones “called to give hope.” The pope had been given a warm welcome by some 100 judges and prosecutors from all over the world. They had spent the day sharing experiences dealing with cases of human trafficking and making proposals for national and transnational action to combat these crimes, which have made victims of an estimated 40 million men, women and children. After thanking them for the work they are doing in this field, often in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances, Pope Francis encouraged them “to fulfill their vocation and their crucial mission—to establish justice—without which there is neither order nor sustainable and integral development, nor social peace.” He emphasized the importance of their work in defense of “the dignity and freedom of men and women today” and in particular “to eradicate human trafficking and smuggling and the new forms of slavery such as forced labor, prostitution, organ trafficking, the drug trade and organized crime.” He denounced these forms of modern slavery as “real crimes against humanity.”

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

A Reflection for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, by Ashley McKinless
Ashley McKinlessApril 02, 2025
A Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinApril 02, 2025
During his long and fruitful pontificate, St. John Paul II embraced the entire world, which stands yet again in need of his blessing, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said.
Father Marko Rupnik, a well-known priest and artist, has been accused of sexually, spiritually and psychologically abusing more than 20 women.