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   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    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".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    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.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:   
   www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va   
      
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   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)