The Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis have backed a Modern Slavery Bill, a landmark initiative that will see the Anglican and Catholic Churches unite to combat trafficking, Christian Today reports.
As the British parliament examines the bill, Archbishop Justin Welby and the Pope have demonstrated their commitment to joining the Global Freedom Network in its fight against modern slavery. Recent statistics estimate that two million people a year fall victim to sexual trafficking, with up to 27 million people are living in conditions of slavery across the globe and as many as 10,000 slaves in the U.K. alone.
In a statement from Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop expresses the importance of Christian unity, and how vital it is that those of different traditions come together to eradicate injustice and restore freedom across the globe.
"We are now being challenged...to find more profound ways of putting our ministry and mission where our faith is; and being called into a deeper unity on the side of the poor and in the cause of the justice and righteousness of God," the statement reads.
As Christian Today reports, both Archbishop Welby and Pope Francis have been instrumental in raising issues of injustice, with the Pope repeatedly calling human trafficking "a crime against humanity" and the Archbishop noting that global poverty and its consequences must be tackled "with extraordinary Christ-liberated courage.”
Publication Date: March 18, 2014