General Audience -Vatican Media Screenshot

For World Day Against Trafficking, Pope Appeals for 'Joining Forces' to Help Victims

Calls for Hearts of Perpetrators to Be Converted

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For this World Day Against Trafficking, Pope Francis has invited everyone, citizens and institutions, to “join forces” to prevent trafficking and to guarantee protection and assistance to victims.
Toward the conclusion of today’s General Audience, the Holy Father reminded that tomorrow, February 8, 2018, liturgical feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking will be observed.
Therefore, Francis exhorted to pray “so that the Lord will convert the hearts of the traffickers” and “give hope of regaining freedom” to those suffering from this shameful scourge.
The Pope reminded that this year’s theme is “Migration without Trafficking. Yes to Freedom! No to Trafficking!”
“With few possibilities of regular channels, many migrants decide to venture in other ways, where often abuses of all sorts await them, exploitation and slavery,” the Pope reminded.

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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