Canadian Bishops Condemn Human Trafficking at Olympics

Members of the Canadian bishops' justice and peace commission have called for prayers for victims of human trafficking, noting that they expect it to be a problem at the Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, to be held from Feb. 12 to 28. A pastoral letter issued on Jan. 26 said major sporting events often see "systems put in place to satisfy the demand for paid sex." "As pastors of the Catholic Church in Canada, we denounce human trafficking in all its forms, whether it is intended for forced labor (domestic, farm or factory work) or for sexual exploitation (whether it be prostitution, pornography, forced marriages, strip clubs, or other)," the bishops wrote. "We invite the faithful to become aware of this violation of human rights and the trivialization of concerns about prostitution." The bishops urged Catholics to become aware of human trafficking, so "we can share in the suffering of the victims and change the behaviors and mentalities that foster institutionalized violence in this new form of slavery."