The pope met in the Vatican with participants in the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. Among them were victims, religious sisters who rescue people, and young volunteers.
It was a Q&A style meeting, where the pope explained that in human trafficking there is a lot of hypocrisy.
POPE FRANCIS
'There are entrepreneurs who hire young people for slave labor, or take them. There are consumers who go to girls who are not free, but are slaves. Because when those girls return to their boss' house, we can call him the mafia boss, they must pay him an amount every day.'
According to the pope, it is also hypocritical to be scandalized or shocked by the reality, and then not to do anything to solve the problem.
One student suggested one way to contribute could be by reporting the cases on social media.
The pope took the opportunity to remember that on social networks, some young people are attracted by deceit and are enslaved in many ways. Therefore, he asked them to watch what happens to their friends or siblings and to notify an adult if they detect a possible case.
