On St. Bakhita Feast Day, Pope Francis Asks for Prayers for Human Trafficking Victims

Pope Francis instituted the annual day of prayer 2015 to take place on the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947), patron saint of human trafficking survivors.

“This day is important because it helps us all to remember this tragedy, and encourages us not to  stop praying and fighting together,” the pope said in his video message.

“Prayer touches the heart and impels us to concrete actions, to innovative, courageous actions, able to take risks trusting in the power of God,” he said.

The theme of this year’s virtual prayer maraton is “An Economy without Human Trafficking.” The pope reflected on this topic, noting that the coronavirus pandemic has “exacerbated and worsened the conditions of labor exploitation.”

The pope said: “An economy without human trafficking is an economy with market rules that promote justice, not exclusive special interests.”

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“Human trafficking finds fertile ground in the approach of neo-liberal  capitalism, in the deregulation of markets aimed at maximising without ethical limits, without social limits, without environmental limits.”

Pope Francis said that it is important to have an economy that takes care of people, promotes the common good, and creates “employment opportunities that do not exploit workers through degrading working conditions and gruelling hours.”

Let us ask for the grace that our eyes might see the drama of our brothers and sisters who are the victims of trafficking in persons, and for the courage to act so that our communities will be free of slavery. #PrayAgainstTrafficking

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 8, 2021

The pope has dedicated the month of February to prayer for women who are victims of violence, including victims of human trafficking.

Pope Francis also recently wrote a preface to a biography of a human trafficking victim. The book, “Io sono Joy,” published in Italian on Jan. 27, tells the story of a girl from Nigeria who hopes to go to Italy to find a job but ends up being trafficked.

In his preface, the pope wrote: “I cannot help but ask the reader a question: since there are countless young women, victims of trafficking, who end up on the streets of our cities, how much does this reprehensible reality derive from the fact that many men, here, require these ‘services’ and show themselves willing to buy another person, annihilating her in her inalienable dignity?”

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.