March 19 - Catholics, Anglicans and Muslims Unite in Global Freedom Network Aimed at Eradicating Slavery

Roman Catholic, Anglican and Muslim representatives came together on Monday at the Vatican to launch together the Global Freedom Network, with a mission to put an end to human trafficking and slavery by the end of the decade.
 
"It's not politically correct to call this modern slavery a crime against humanity but we want to arrive at that in national and international law," said Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo on behalf of Pope Francis, who signed the new initiative. Sorondo was joined by New Zealand Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, as well as Dr. Mahmoud Azab, representing the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar Sunni Islam center.
 
"If you look at the work of Catholic, Anglican and other faith missions over the last three or four decades, they have been engaged in the fight against human trafficking," Moxon noted.
 
More than 30 million men, women and children are caught in human trafficking, the Vatican said, and through the launch of the Global Freedom Network, they are hoping to galvanize action at the local, national and international level.