Victims always come first, Pope tells trafficking summit

Last updated on: June 5, 2016 at 6:03 am by CNA Daily News

Victims always come first, Pope tells trafficking summit 2016-06-05T06:03:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Jun 5, 2016 / 12:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis asked judges, prosecutors and magistrates gathered at the Vatican for a summit on human trafficking this week to remember that the victims always come first.

“The victims are the first who need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society — and their traffickers and executioners must be given no quarter and pursued,” the Holy Father said in his address to the judges on June 3.

“Victims can recover and in fact we know that they can regain control of their lives with the help of good judges, social workers and society as a whole,” he added.

The summit, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, is the latest effort by Pope Francis and the Holy See to combat modern forms of slavery, including human trafficking, forced labor, the trade in organs and organized crime.

Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out against human trafficking in the past, calling it a “shameful wound” which has no place in “civil society.”

In his address on Friday, the Holy Father also expressed his thanks to the representatives of the 193 United Nations member states for their unanimously approved Goal 8.7 to end human trafficking, which reads: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.”

“In calling together these judges, the Academy wants nothing more than to cooperate, within its means, with the UN’s mandate,” Francis said.

“I take this opportunity, therefore, to thank those nations whose Ambassadors to the Holy See have not shown themselves indifferent or unfairly critical, but, on the contrary, have actively collaborated with the Academy to make this summit possible.”

Judges who follow their vocation to establish justice for the sake of the community and for social peace fulfill a “crucial mission” in the world, the Pope said.

“When we say ‘execute justice’, as you well know, we do not mean seeking punishment as an end in itself, but in the case of penalties, that they be for the re-education of the wrongdoers in the hope that they can be reintegrated into society,” he said.

The issue of justice and of divine judgment is especially seen in the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew, the Holy Father noted.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who suffer for justice, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed by our Father are those who treat the most needy and least of my brothers and sisters as myself,” he said.

“They — and here I am referring especially to judges — will have the highest reward: they shall inherit the earth, and they will be called children of God, they shall see God, and enjoy eternity with the heavenly Father.”

At the end of the meeting on June 4, participants were invited to sign a Declaration resolving to combat human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. Participants in the summit included Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen; the United Nations High Commissioner against Human Trafficking, as well as representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Italy.

Vatican

Previous Post

June 4, 2016

Here's what could delay Canada's controversial assisted suicide bill

Next Post

June 5, 2016 Military chaplains help traumatized soldiers, but who helps them?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who played the harp for King Saul?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Asaph Solomon David Samuel