The Francis Project: Human Trafficking

Committed to the theme of combatting human trafficking since his days as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis initiated meetings that led to the creation of the Santa Marta Group, a global alliance of police, faith leaders, and civil society organizations united to combat human trafficking and modern slavery. Francis designated for prayer and human trafficking awareness the feast day (February 8) of St. Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947), the patron saint of human trafficking victims. She was a former slave of Sudanese descent and a human trafficking victim, who later became a Cannosian religious sister, in Italy. His dicastery, the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences held various conferences and workshops on the issue of human trafficking, which together with the various documents, interventions, messages and homilies of the Pope solidified the importance of the theme, in the Church and international community. There are many related themes, including prostitution, pornography, and the sale of adults and children.