Slavery

Jesus used the words “captive” and “oppressed” to begin his earthly ministry, declaring that the Spirit was upon him to give liberty to those who are oppressed. There are many forms of captivity in our world today – spiritual captivity to sin, political oppression by unjust powers, and (incredibly) human slavery.
If our Lenten fasts are to bear fruit during Easter, we too must be about the Father’s business of setting captives free.
One way Catholics can respond is through making a conscious effort to confront the disturbing reality of human trafficking in our society today (also referred to as modern day slavery). Human trafficking is the fastest growing illegal industry in the world and the second largest black-market industry (behind only the illegal drug trade). Globally human trafficking generates $32 billion annually.
In our Diocese (including the San Diego and Imperial Counties), human trafficking has actually surpassed the illegal drug trade. According to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, human trafficking cases increased 600% between 2009 and 2014. The FBI has ranked San Diego as a “high-density” child trafficking area.
As Christians, an apostolic term meaning “little Christs,” the mission falls to us to implement Jesus’ mandate of setting the captives free. Involving both a physical and spiritual dimension, the journey to freedom for a trafficking survivor can often take years. Materially, it involves the cooperation of local and federal law enforcement agencies. Spiritually, the Church must get involved.
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