The story of St. Josephine Bakhita, born in Sudan’s Darfur region in 1869, is one of unimaginable suffering transformed into radiant hope. The Church celebrates her feast on Feb.8.
Kidnapped at the age of nine, stripped of her name, and sold into slavery, Bakhita endured physical and psychological torment that would break most spirits. Yet, her eventual liberation — both physical and spiritual — after being taken to Italy in the late 19th century became a testament to resilience and divine love.
Baptized in 1890 and later taking vows as a Canossian Sister, Bakhita dedicated her life to serving others, embodying compassion in the face of cruelty. Canonized in 2000, she is now the patron saint of victims of human trafficking, a title that resonates with tragic urgency in our time.
Today, as the world grapples with the pervasive evil of modern slavery, Bakhita’s legacy is a clarion call to confront a crime Pope Francis has repeatedly denounced as a “crime against humanity.”
The scale of this crisis is staggering. According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery — a 25 percent increase since 2016. This includes 28 million in forced labor and 22 million in forced marriages, with women and children accounting for 54 percent of all victims.
The profits generated from this exploitation exceed US$236 billion annually, making it one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in the world.
Modern slavery is not a monolithic crime but a hydra-headed menace manifesting in forced labor, sex trafficking, debt bondage, child exploitation, and forced marriages.