At 11:25am today, in the Consistory Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the members of the Santa Marta Group, on the occasion of the Conference which was organized by that international organization against the trafficking of human beings (26-27 October 2016).
Dear brother Bishops,
Illustrious Sirs and Madames,
With great pleasure, I meet you on the occasion of this conference which is developing your collaboration against the trafficking of human beings and in support of the victims. I thank Cardinal Nichols for his words and for the efforts being put into this cause, which is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
The Santa Marta Group, which unites ecclesial and civil authorities, is making an important contribution to tackling the social evil of human trafficking, linked to new forms of slavery, whose victims are men and women, at times children, who are exploited, taken advantage of due to their poverty and marginalization. As I wrote a year ago on the occasion of your meeting at the Escorial, what is needed is a concerted effort, effective and consistent, either to eliminate the causes of this complex phenomenon or to meet, assist and accompany those persons who fall into the snares of trafficking. The number of these victims - according to international organizations - unfortunately are increasing each year. They are the most vulnerable, whose dignity has been stolen away, their physical and mental integrity, some have even lost their lives.
Dear friends, I thank you and I encourage you to continue in your commitment. The Lord will repay you for what you are doing for these little ones of today's society. He himself said: I was hungry ... I was thirsty ... and you helped me; today, he might also say: I was abused, exploited, enslaved ... and you helped me.
Continue your work, accompanied by my closeness and my prayer. You too, please, pray for me. Thank you.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to members of the Santa Marta Group
Dear brother Bishops,
Illustrious Sirs and Madames,
With great pleasure, I meet you on the occasion of this conference which is developing your collaboration against the trafficking of human beings and in support of the victims. I thank Cardinal Nichols for his words and for the efforts being put into this cause, which is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
The Santa Marta Group, which unites ecclesial and civil authorities, is making an important contribution to tackling the social evil of human trafficking, linked to new forms of slavery, whose victims are men and women, at times children, who are exploited, taken advantage of due to their poverty and marginalization. As I wrote a year ago on the occasion of your meeting at the Escorial, what is needed is a concerted effort, effective and consistent, either to eliminate the causes of this complex phenomenon or to meet, assist and accompany those persons who fall into the snares of trafficking. The number of these victims - according to international organizations - unfortunately are increasing each year. They are the most vulnerable, whose dignity has been stolen away, their physical and mental integrity, some have even lost their lives.
Dear friends, I thank you and I encourage you to continue in your commitment. The Lord will repay you for what you are doing for these little ones of today's society. He himself said: I was hungry ... I was thirsty ... and you helped me; today, he might also say: I was abused, exploited, enslaved ... and you helped me.
Continue your work, accompanied by my closeness and my prayer. You too, please, pray for me. Thank you.
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