Message by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Human trafficking may, at times, feel like a distant headline, a crisis “elsewhere”, far removed from the rhythms of daily life. Yet its reality – millions of lives coerced, sold, or forced into exploitation – is a stark reminder of how deeply injustice can penetrate society.
This year’s message for the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking has crystallised this reality with moral clarity and urgency. In it, Pope Leo XIV calls human trafficking a “grave crime against humanity”. It is a wound upon the very dignity of the human person.
At its core, trafficking is an affront to humanity, a systematic stripping away of freedom, identity, and hope from those most vulnerable. Women, children, migrants, and displaced persons often bear the worst of its horrors, commodified for profit and subjected to an exploitation that shatters bodies and spirits alike. In his message, the Pope reminds us that true peace is not merely the absence of war or conflict, but the presence of justice rooted in respect for every human life.
It is easy to talk about human trafficking in statistics – numbers of victims, map points of origin and destination – but these figures can obscure the lived reality of people whose futures have been stolen. Trafficking thrives in the shadows, in broken systems and in the blind spots of affluent societies. It takes contemporary forms, from forced labour and sexual exploitation to “cyber slavery,” where vulnerable individuals are lured into criminal networks through digital coercion.
Pope Leo’s reflection calls for a deeper awareness: one that pierces the invisible threads that bind victims to their traffickers. “Prayer is the ‘small flame’ that we must guard amidst the storm”, he writes. It is not an escape from the world’s suffering, but a source of strength to confront it with compassion and resolve. In this, his call echoes ancient wisdom: without seeing the face of the afflicted as fully human, society will always reproduce the very conditions that allow exploitation to flourish.
Prayer should lead to action. Across the world, grassroots organisations, faith groups, and survivors turned advocates work tirelessly to support those who have escaped trafficking and to prevent others from falling into its grip. Survivors’ voices are particularly powerful. They transform abstract concepts – such as exploitation, coercion, liberation – into real stories of pain and resilience. Their courage challenges communities to move beyond sympathy to solidarity, to foster environments where victims are not only rescued but restored to a new life. The Pope’s gratitude toward those assisting victims, and especially to survivors who advocate for others, underscores this point: the battle against trafficking is both spiritual and practical, requiring heart and hands to work together.
Pope Leo’s message transcends religious boundaries. By calling trafficking a crime against humanity, he invites the entire global community to confront a moral crisis that affects us all. Governments, civil society, educational institutions, businesses, and families alike have a role to play. Laws can prosecute traffickers, but only a culture that values human dignity can deny them fertile ground. Preventing exploitation demands economic justice, safe migration pathways, education, and opportunities that leave no one vulnerable to coercion.
Standing together against human trafficking is ultimately based on the respect of the dignity of every human being.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta
This article has been published in the Sunday Times of Malta on February 15, 2026
