4. PRAY WITH ALL THOSE WHO
ARE TRAFFICKED
REFLECT AND PRAY FOR ALL CONCERNED WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Each excerpt of the message from the Catholic sisters gathered
in Rome in October, 2007 is addressed to persons concerned
with human trafficking and is here also followed by a prayer
for these persons.
To the Victims
We wish to say to you who have been trafficked – we
stand with you, you are not alone. We will fight with you
to release you from your bondage. In solidarity with you,
we will confront the traffickers. We challenge unjust systems
and those who exploit others. Do not give up hope.
Let us pray for the victims: that they will
find comfort, peace, security and dignity restored to their
lives.
To the Traffickers
We women religious from across the world, say to you traffickers,
“Stop the exploitation! Look at the children, women
and men you are destroying with your physical and psychological
abuse. By violating their fundamental human rights, you damage,
deny and destroy their identities, names and status. We condemn
these actions as well as the subtle ways you use to exploit
them”
Let us pray for the traffickers: that they
will be freed from their lust for money and power, and come
to see what they are doing to others whose lives are just
as precious as their own.
To Demanders and Exploiters
We call on you who exploit women, children and men for commercial
sex or forced labour to stop buying human beings, for without
your demand, the evil of human trafficking would not exist.
We call on you to realise that all women, children and men
have equal rights and dignity and that in your demand you
cause irreparable harm and lose your own dignity.
Let us pray for demanders and exploiters:
that they will be freed from the shackles of their unbridled
sexual drives, and realise that their lust deprives others
of their right to dignity and freedom of choice.
To Governments
We acknowledge that many governments have laws against trafficking:
we call for an increased enforcement of these laws. We further
call on governments of the world to address the issues of
economic inequality, poverty and corruption that lead to the
destruction of so many lives. The physical, emotional, spiritual
and psychological torture of millions of people hidden in
back streets, ghettoes, hotels, and parlours all over the
world, is criminal activity. We urge governments to create
and implement policies and strong legislation to criminalise
the exploiters. Good governance demands that traffickers do
not benefit from the vulnerability of others.
Let us pray for world leaders: that they
will faithfully and quickly address the issues that lead to
and allow for human trafficking.
To Religious Leaders
We appreciate all the religious leaders who have supported
the fight against trafficking in persons. We call on all religious
leaders to end religious practises and customs that discriminate
against women and girls, and hence contribute to the attitude
of gender inequality underlying the growth of human trafficking
in our world today. We urge all religious leaders to denounce
injustice and violence against women, children and men who
are exploited or used in the sale of organs. We encourage
you to relentlessly use your pastoral responsibility to defend
and promote the human dignity of persons exploited by these
forms of slavery.
Let us pray for religious leaders: that
they may have the courage to denounce injustice and violence
against women and children and that they may always be willing
to defend the rights of the voiceless.
To People of Good Will
We urge all people of good will to open your hearts to the
victims and to act to change the root causes of human trafficking
– poverty, gender inequality, discrimination, greed
and corruption. Each small action of restoring dignity to
another person furthers the dignity of each one of us. Our
hope rests in that vision of humanity that honours the principle
that no woman, child or man is a commodity for sale. Relying
on the love of God, we ask you to join us in our prayers and
our actions to eradicate this social and moral evil.
Let us pray for all the people of good will:
that they have strength, courage and wisdom to act each time
human dignity is threatened.
(Adaptation of the Declaration, issued in Rome, October
22nd 2007. www.zenith.org)
FINAL PRAYER … LET US PRAY WITH HOPE
Response:
God hears the cry of the poor
Blessed be our God.
I will bless God’s name at all
times
God’s praise is ever in my mouth. R.
Let my soul glory in our God,
For he hears the cry of the poor. R.
Every spirit crushed God will save,
God will be ransom for their lives. R.
God will be safe shelter for their
fears,
For he hears the cry of the poor. R.
LET US PRAY TOGETHER
Almighty and loving God, you who created all people in your
image,
Lead us to become individuals of deep compassion as we read
and reflect on the stories of affliction suffered by trafficked
men, women and children.
You gave your only Son, Jesus, who died and rose again so
that sins will be forgiven.
We place before you today the pain and anguish of the trafficked
who are deprived of land, language, culture, family and the
hope of justice.
We live in faith that you will hear our prayer for them so
that they will escape from the pain and hopelessness of their
situations. Touch their spirits with hope and heal their suffering
bodies.
We are sorry on behalf of our human brothers and sisters
who inflict such pain. We ask forgiveness and conversion for
them.
Help each of us to grow in compassion and in gratitude for
our own freedom and the riches we enjoy.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
