Vatican newspaper deplores modern-day slavery

February 09, 2018

In an unsigned column published on its front-page, L’Osservatore Romano lamented the multifaceted plague of modern slavery, including prostitution, sexual abuse, child labor, child soldiers, forced marriages, and organ trafficking.

The Vatican newspaper cited several reports:

• an International Labor Organization report that estimates the number of slaves at 40 million
• a CNN story on a slave market in Libya
• a Reuters investigation into the collaboration between Thai police and human traffickers in victimizing Rohingya refugees—a crime for which a Thai general was convicted

On February 8, the Church commemorated the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking. The commemoration takes place on the memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita (1868-1947), who was enslaved as a child in Sudan.

 

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Further information:

• Le mille facce della schiavitù moderna (L’Osservatore Romano)