How can you help the Catholic Church fight human trafficking?

The Holy Father has repeatedly called on all Catholics to take up the fight against human trafficking, which he has referred to as “a deep wound that affects each one of us.” He further called on us to look to St. Bakhita, “change is possible when we allow ourselves to be transformed by the care that God has for each of us. It is the care of mercy, it is the care of love that changes us in our depths and makes us capable of welcoming others as brothers and sisters.” We are all called to uphold the dignity of others, pray for their safety and recovery, and find ways we can advocate for victims and prevent trafficking in our own neighborhoods. Here are some suggestions how you can help the Catholic Church in the fight against this grave evil:

Pray

Learn

  • Take some time to review the US State Department’s most recent Trafficking in Persons Report, which analyzes how every country around the world is dealing with this problem – or not!
  • Be an informed consumer by exploring the origins of products, such as through the Responsible Sourcing Tool Guide or the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.
  • Volunteer and support anti-trafficking efforts in your community. Contact your local Catholic Charities and see if they are doing anything with respect to human trafficking and, if they are, how you can help.
  • Study the Vatican’s recently published document, Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking, which has as its aim “understanding, recognizing, preventing, and eradicating the plague of the trafficking of persons, protecting the victims, and promoting the recovery of survivors.”

Act

  • Encourage companies to prevent human trafficking in their supply chains and disclose information for consumer awareness. For example, when you stay at a hotel make sure that they have guidelines and rules that aim to stop human trafficking situations on their premises.
  • Host awareness-raising events, such as film screenings, to educate others about different forms of human trafficking. Take advantage of our discussion guide for the movie Sound of Freedom, that will you and your friends get a better understanding of the themes and ideas expressed in the film.
  • If you suspect human trafficking in the United States, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or dial 911 for emergencies.

Let us know what else you are doing to stop human trafficking in its tracks! Email Felicitas Brugo Onetti at FOnetti@usccb.org and let her know.