VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 214
DATE 02-12-2014

Summary:
- Religious leaders gathered in the Vatican for the eradication of modern
slavery
- Declaration of religious leaders for the eradication of slavery

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 Religious leaders gathered in the Vatican for the eradication of modern
slavery
 Vatican City, 2 December 2014 (VIS) - For the first time in history, the
leaders of the world's major religions gathered together in the Vatican this
morning with the aim of eliminating modern slavery. Today, International Day
for the Abolition of Slavery, a ceremony was held in the seat of the
Pontifical Academy for Sciences in the Vatican's Casina Pio IV for the signing
of the Declaration of Religious Leaders against Slavery. This solemn act
follows the agreement signed of 17 March in the Vatican, established by the
Global Freedom Network to eradicate, by 2020, modern forms of slavery and
human trafficking. The Declaration was signed by Pope Francis, along with
eminent Orthodox, Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu representatives.
 The following is the full text of Pope Francis' address, which he began by
thanking all religious leaders for their commitment to assisting survivors of
human trafficking, and all those present for their active participation in
this act of fraternity, "especially for our brothers and sisters who suffer
most".
 "Inspired by our confessions of faith, we are gathered here today for an
historical initiative and to take concrete action: to declare that we will
work together to eradicate the terrible scourge of modern slavery in all its
forms. The physical, economic, sexual and psychological exploitation of men,
women and children that is currently inflicted on tens of millions of people
constitutes a form of dehumanisation and humiliation.
 "Every human being, man women, boy and girl, is made in God's image. God is
the love and freedom that is given in interpersonal relationships, and every
human being is a free person destined to live for the good of others in
equality and fraternity. Every person, and all people, are equal and must be
accorded the same freedom and the same dignity. Any discriminatory
relationship that does not respect the fundamental conviction that others are
equal is a crime, and frequently an aberrant crime.
 "Therefore, we declare on each and every one of our creeds that modern
slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, and
organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity. Its victims are from all walks
of life, but are most frequently among the poorest and most vulnerable of our
brothers and sisters. On behalf of all of them, our communities of faith are
called to reject, without exception, any systematic deprivation of individual
freedom for the purposes of personal or commercial exploitation; in their
name, we make this declaration.
 "In spite of the great efforts of many, modern slavery continues to be an
atrocious scourge present on a large scale throughout the world, also as
tourism; this crime is frequently concealed in apparently accepted customs but
the reality is that it claims victims in prostitution, human trafficking,
forced labour, slave labour, mutilation, the sale of organs, drug abuse, and
child labour. It is hidden behind closed doors, in certain homes, in the
streets, in cars, in factories, in fields, in fishing boats and in many other
places. And it takes place in both cities and villages, in the slums of the
richest and poorest nations in the world. And the worst thing is that the
situation is unfortunately worsening every day.
 "Let us call to action all persons of faith and their leaders, Governments,
businesses, all men and women of good will, to lend their unwavering support
and to join the movement against modern slavery, in all its forms.
 "Supported by the ideals of our confessions of faith and our shared human
values, we all can and must raise the standard of spiritual values, our joint
efforts, our liberatory vision, to eradicate slavery from our planet. I pray
that the Lord will grant us the grace to become a neighbour to all persons,
without exception, and to provide active support whenever we encounter on our
way an elderly person abandoned by all; an unjustly enslaved and mistreated
worker; a refugee caught in the snares of crime; a young person walking the
streets of the world, a victim of the sex trade; a man or a woman tricked into
prostitution by people with no fear of God; a child mutilated for his or her
organs, all of whom call out to our consciences, echoing the voice of the
Lord: I assure you that whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
 "Dear friends, thank you for this meeting, and thank you for this joint
effort that involves all of us. We are all a reflection of the image of God,
and we are convinced that we cannot accept that the image of the living God be
subject to the most aberrant trafficking".

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 Declaration of religious leaders for the eradication of slavery
 Vatican City, 2 December 2014 (VIS) - The following is the full text of the
Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery
 "We, the undersigned, are gathered here today for a historic initiative to
inspire spiritual and practical action by all global faiths and people of good
will everywhere to eradicate modern slavery across the world by 2020 and for
all time.
 "In the eyes of God*, each human being is a free person, whether girl, boy,
woman or man, and is destined to exist for the good of all in equality and
fraternity. Modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and
prostitution, organ trafficking, and any relationship that fails to respect
the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom
and dignity, is a crime against humanity.
 "We pledge ourselves here today to do all in our power, within our faith
communities and beyond, to work together for the freedom of all those who are
enslaved and trafficked so that their future may be restored. Today we have
the opportunity, awareness, wisdom, innovation and technology to achieve this
human and moral imperative".
 *The Grand Imam of Al Azhar uses the word "religions".
 - Catholicism: Pope Francis;
 - Hinduism: Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma);
 - Buddhism: Venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong, representing Zen Master
Thich Nhat Hanh, Thailand; Venerable Datuk K. Sri Dhammaratana, Chief High
Priest of Malaysia;
 - Judaism: Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Rabbi David Rosen KSG, CBE;
 - Orthodox: His Eminence Emmanuel, Metropolitan of France, representing the
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I;
 - Islam: Abbas Abdalla Abbas Soliman, undersecretary of State of Al Azhar
Alsharif, representing Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar; the
Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi; Sheikh Naziyah Razzaq Jaafar,
special advisor, representing Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Basheer Hussain al
Najafi; Sheikh Omar Abboud;
 - Anglicanism: His Grace Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby,
archbishop of Canterbury.

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