"Peace begins with dignity," Bishop Socrates Mesiona of the Diocese of Puerta Princesa, Philippines, said in a statement released on February 1. Bishop Mesiona, chair of the Philippine Catholic bishops' Commission on Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, warned that human trafficking continues to pose a threat to vulnerable people, including migrants, women, and children in the Southeast Asian nation. High poverty rates, online abuse, and deceptive recruitment of workers present great risks.
The statement calls for stronger anti-trafficking efforts on the part of the Church, at both the diocesan and parish levels. To date, 12 Philippines dioceses have set up Diocesan Committees Against Human Trafficking, or DCAHTs. Bishop Mesiona encouraged other dioceses to inaugurate DCAHTs and for those already in existence to be strengthened, in order to respond more quickly and cooperatively to the crisis.
Responding where people live
Because human trafficking affects not just individuals, but also families and communities, Bishop Mesiona stressed the need for action at the parish level. He called on parishes to play a frontline role in prevention by becoming safe spaces for learning, vigilance and protection of vulnerable people.
“We call on parishes to become spaces of vigilance, education, and protection,” he said, urging integration of awareness into catechesis, youth programs, and family formation.
Catholics' response to human trafficking must be rooted in prayer, Bishop Mesiona acknowledged, but it cannot stop there. “Awareness must move us toward responsibility, and faith must lead us to action,” he said.
International Day of Prayer and Awareness
The bishops' commission statement was released on Sunday, February 1, observed as the National Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking in the Philippines. The International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, promoted by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG), will be observed on Sunday, February 8.
The date marks the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese nun who was kidnapped into slavery as a child and who is now invoked as a symbol of the Church's commitment against this evil. Talitha Kum (Aramaic for "Little girl, arise"), an international anti-trafficking network founded by the UISG, coordinates the day's events.
Religious sisters around the world are on the frontlines of efforts to stop human trafficking, as well as rescuing those trafficking and helping them to heal.
