By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Warning against increased cases of “cyber-slavery,” Pope Leo XIV said the violence of human trafficking can be overcome only by seeing every individual as a beloved child of God.
A “particularly disturbing” offshoot in the world of trafficking is “the rise of so-called ‘cyber slavery,’ whereby individuals are lured into fraudulent schemes and criminal activities, such as online fraud and drug smuggling,” he said in a written message released by the Vatican Feb. 6. “In such cases, the victim is coerced into assuming the role of perpetrator, exacerbating their spiritual wounds.”
The “logic of dominion and disregard for human life,” geopolitical instability, armed conflicts and the widening gap between the rich and the poor all help fuel the horrors of human trafficking, he wrote for the 12th International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking.
“These forms of violence are not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a culture that has forgotten how to love as Christ loves,” he wrote.
The world day is observed every Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. The saint was kidnapped by slave traders in Sudan in the late 1870s and sold into slavery before she eventually secured her freedom and became a religious sister in Italy.
In the written message, titled “Peace begins with dignity: a global call to end human trafficking,” the pope firmly renewed the Church’s “urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.”
“Geopolitical instability and armed conflicts create fertile ground for traffickers to exploit the most vulnerable, especially displaced persons, migrants and refugees,” he wrote. “Within this broken paradigm, women and children are the most impacted by this heinous trade.”
The widening gap between the rich and the poor also leaves many people “susceptible to the deceptive promises of recruiters,” he wrote.
“In the face of these grave challenges, we turn to prayer and awareness,” he wrote.
The “small flame” of prayer provides the strength to resist indifference to injustice while awareness helps identify “the hidden mechanisms of exploitation in our neighborhoods and in digital spaces.”
“Ultimately, the violence of human trafficking can be overcome only through a renewed vision that beholds every individual as a beloved child of God,” he wrote, adding that “true peace begins with the recognition and protection of the God-given dignity of every person.”
Pope Leo thanked everyone who works with victims, including survivors who now advocate on behalf of others.
“May the Lord bless them for their courage, fidelity and tireless commitment,” he wrote.”Let us all join the journey toward a world where peace is not merely the absence of war, but is ‘unarmed and disarming,’ rooted in full respect for the dignity of all.”
The pope reiterated his call after praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square Feb. 8.
Thanking religious men and women, and all those committed to combating and eliminating current forms of slavery, Pope Leo said, “together with them, I say: peace begins with dignity!”
©2026 Catholic News Service/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
