For most of us, the idea of human trafficking is a foreign one. We are not involved in that industry; we are not involved in the sex industry; we don't know anyone who is or anyone who has been a victim of it. We think that human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution is something that affects young women in places like Thailand. Yet statistics say that as many as 16,000 Canadians are trafficked annually. These are young women, as young as 12 years old, who, believe it or not, live in your community. Many are trafficked by their own families. They are also not the stereotypical young woman in the "not-for-sale" posters you may see at a truck stop off a highway. They are your children's classmates; they are your neighbours’ kids. Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has been an outspoken defender and advocate of all those who are marginalized: in a special way for migrants and refugees and, yes, also victims of human trafficking. In January 2019, the Vatican hosted a conference on this topic, and the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development published pastoral guidelines on human trafficking. Here in Canada prostitution laws are under review with the possibility of being completely struck, thus making prostitution a legal activity. All experts agree that liberal prostitution laws only encourage the victimization of women and feed the industry, resulting in more human trafficking. These issues and questions will all be part of a panel discussion, hosted by Deacon Pedro Guevara-Mann, airing on Salt + Light TV, on September 18, 2019, at 8pm ET / 5pm (repeats at 9 pm PT).***UPDATE 9/19: You can now watch the entire program by clicking on the video above.
Gianpaolo gives us a behind the scenes look at his upcoming Behold segment on the York University Catholic Chaplaincy.
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Priest, educator, and legendary hockey coach. Fr. David Bauer's impact on Canada's sports and culture history is unmistakable.
At the Manresa Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering, ON, retreatants of all ages can encounter a God of surprises.
On December 7, Pope Francis will hold a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals. Then on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, he will preside over a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving with the new Cardinals.