Dear sisters and brothers,

I am pleased to meet you and to join you in your daily commitment to put an end to human trafficking. In particular, I thank Talitha Kum for your service. Thank you! We are meeting on the eve of the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, who was a victim of this terrible social scourge. Her story gives us strength and shows us that with the Lord’s grace, it is possible for those who suffered injustice and violence to shatter their chains, to go free and to become messengers of hope to others in difficult situations.

Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that claims millions of victims and continues unabated. It continually finds new ways to infiltrate our societies the world over. In the face of this tragedy, we must not remain indifferent. Like yourselves, we need to unite our forces and our voices, calling upon everyone to accept responsibility for combating this form of crime that profits from the most vulnerable.

We must not tolerate the shameful exploitation of so many of our sisters and brothers. Trafficking in human bodies, the sexual exploitation even of small children and forced labour are a disgrace and a very serious violation of fundamental human rights.

I know that you are an international group, and some of you have travelled very far for this week of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Thank you! In a special way, I would express my appreciation to the youth ambassadors, who with creativity and vitality continue to find new ways of raising awareness of, and providing information about, the evil of human trafficking.

I encourage all organizations and individuals in this network to continue to work together, making victims and survivors your primary concern, listening to their stories, caring for their wounds and enabling them to make their voices heard in society at large. That is what it means to be ambassadors of hope, and it is my hope that during this Jubilee Year many others will follow your example.