"Empathy,
love,
respect,
equality:
these are the common denominators which caused the leaders of the world’s major religions to sign a declaration committed to the elimination of slavery and human trafficking by the year 2020 today at the Vatican. The catalyst behind this meeting, which included Pope Francis, the Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi, Mata Amritanandamayi (a Hindu spiritual leader), and the venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong (representing the Zen Master Zen Thich Nhat Hanh), is the Global Freedom Network, a global religion-based network created this year with the goal of destroying modern slavery in every form, from child labor, prostitution and organ trafficking to any act which violates the dignity or liberty of any single person.
For the first time in history, major Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Christian authorities, along with leaders of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim religions, met to sign a shared commitment against modern slavery, which is considered a crime against humanity.
Papa Francesco ✔ @Pontifex_it Segui
Mai più schiavi. Siamo tutti fratelli e sorelle. #EndSlavery
Pope Francis on Twitter: No more slavery. We are all brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis’s speech was followed by statements from the major religious leaders, beginning with the Indian guru Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as Amma, which means “mother” in Hindi. “Destroying the life of another person is an act of abuse against the gifts of God,” Amma stated,
seated next to the Pope. “We need to develop empathy, allowing the divinity within each person to be realized […]. For the new generations and victims of human trafficking, we need to establish a practical education that will help them develop a greater awareness. We need to arouse their dormant courage and faith in themselves, to help them rise up again. They must realize that they are not weak and powerless lambs, but can be courageous lions […]. What we need is a culture of love.”
As Andrew Forrest, president of Walk Free Foundation, pointed out, the signing of the declaration also represents a moment of great cooperation between Shiite and Sunni Muslim leaders. Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grant Imam of Al Azhar, recalled the words of the Prophet: “An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, just as a non-Arab is not superior to an Arab.”
According to the 2014 Global Slavery Index published by the Walk Free Foundation, nearly 36 million people are currently victims of modern slavery. This statistic includes people who have lost their liberty and are being exploited for personal or commercial interests. According to the International Labor Organization, the total profits obtained by forced labor in the private economy throughout the world amounts to $150 billion every year." HP
but he is the head of that entity-Papal
Rome
And I saw one of
his heads as it were wounded to death;
1798
and his deadly
wound was healed:
Since
1798
and all the
world wondered after the beast.
Today
Revelation
13:3
