(Vatican Radio) Men and women of goodwill of the diocese of Rome are to walk the ‘Way of the Cross’ in solidarity with all women victims of human trafficking on Friday evening.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: During the General Audience on Wednesday Pope Francis invited the faithful to participate in the initiative organized by the Pope John XXIII Community in favour of women and girls who have been rescued from trafficking rings and of those who are still enslaved by the sex trade.At its third edition, the “Via Crucis for crucified women” aims to raise awareness about the plight of women who trafficked and enslaved for prostitution.The 7pm rendezvous in Rome’s Garbatella area has been strongly supported by the Diocese of Rome and Rome Auxiliary Bishop Paolo Lojudice.Fr. Aldo Buonaiuto of the Pope John XXIII Community, organizer and coordinator of this special “Via Crucis” said that the number of women trafficked for prostitution has...
(Vatican Radio) Men and women of goodwill of the diocese of Rome are to walk the ‘Way of the Cross’ in solidarity with all women victims of human trafficking on Friday evening.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
During the General Audience on Wednesday Pope Francis invited the faithful to participate in the initiative organized by the Pope John XXIII Community in favour of women and girls who have been rescued from trafficking rings and of those who are still enslaved by the sex trade.
At its third edition, the “Via Crucis for crucified women” aims to raise awareness about the plight of women who trafficked and enslaved for prostitution.
The 7pm rendezvous in Rome’s Garbatella area has been strongly supported by the Diocese of Rome and Rome Auxiliary Bishop Paolo Lojudice.
Fr. Aldo Buonaiuto of the Pope John XXIII Community, organizer and coordinator of this special “Via Crucis” said that the number of women trafficked for prostitution has quadrupled over the past two years.
“Estimates of various monitoring organizations put the numbers of women and girls used in the sex trade in Italy at between 70 and 100 thousand. We believe that this presence is actually multiplied by four due to the continued landings of refugees along our coasts, and we all know that a large percentage of these girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation” he said.
Father Buonaiuto said the shameful trade sees the presence of girls who are younger and younger; most of them, he said, are trafficked from Nigeria and then distributed throughout Europe.
“The huge presence of these innocent girls who are raped on our streets is possible because there is a demand”, changing this culture and discouraging customers, he said, can go a long way in suppressing the offer. That is why raising awareness is crucial.
Father Greg Boyle gives an address at "We ? LA: An Urban Retreat for LA's Passionate Leaders" in 2010. / Credit: durfeefoundation, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, May 3, 2024 / 15:30 pm (CNA).The White House on Friday announced that Jesuit Father Greg Boyle, the founder of a prominent ministry dedicated to rehabilitating gang-affiliated youth, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside 18 other recipients this afternoon. Boyle, ordained a priest in 1984, founded Homeboy Industries in 1992 while pastor of Dolores Mission, a Catholic church and school in an area that at one time had one of the highest concentrations of gang activity in Los Angeles. Today, Homeboy Industries claims to be the largest gang-intervention program in the United States.The successful ministry, which now operates nationwide, offers training and job skills to those formerly involved in gangs or in jail, as well as case management, tattoo removal, mental health and le...
The spiritual shepherd of the Church in Singapore is Cardinal William Goh, archbishop since early 2013 and a cardinal since 2022. / Credit: Sean Boyce/EWTN NewsNational Catholic Register, May 3, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).Pope Francis recently announced his intention to travel to Southeast Asia in September to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. The island nation of Singapore is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse regions in Asia and is home to about 395,000 Catholics. The small but strategically important nation also has the highest urban density in Asia but is ranked as the country with the highest quality of life. Like everywhere else, it also faces the threats of secularism and relativism and a loss of traditional values, especially a commitment to family and respect for the elderly. The spiritual shepherd of the Church in Singapore is Cardinal William Goh, archbishop since early 2013 and a cardinal since 2022. He sat down in his res...
null / Credit: ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 2, 2024 / 18:20 pm (CNA).The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) released a pair of emergency rules that it said are aimed at combating "misinformation" and a "deeply dishonest scare campaign" by the Biden administration about the state's new six-week pro-life law. The rules, published on May 1, establish guidance for lifesaving measures and clarify that certain procedures, including treatment for ectopic pregnancies, are not considered abortion and remain legal under the Florida Heartbeat Protection Act, which went into effect on Wednesday. This comes amid significant criticism over the state's pro-life law that prohibits abortions on women after six weeks of pregnancy except for in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger. The new AHCA rules further clarify those exceptions. "The agency finds there is an immediate danger to th...