Our Lady & St Neot Jubilee Modern Slavery Reflection
The Parish of Our Lady and St Neot in Liskeard has embarked on a wonderful Jubilee programme of pilgrimage and reflection, visiting all four pilgrimage sites in the Diocese, interspersed with reflections on the key Jubilee themes.
Caritas was invited to lead the group in a reflection on Modern Slavery. We started with prayers for the repose of the soul and grateful thanks for the life and example of Pope Francis, who was a staunch advocate for the eradication of Modern Slavery. His choice of Modern Slavery as one of the six key themes of Jubilee reflected the origins of Jubilee, which has always had a focus on freedom from bondage and exploitation.
The group learned more about this crime, which is so often hidden in plain sight in our communities, and explored some of the ways in which people can be exploited, and the scale of the problem. It is estimated that there are currently around 50 million people around the world who are victims of slavery, three times as many as at the height of the Transatlantic slave trade. In the UK alone, experts estimate that there are actually 120-130,000 people who are victims of Modern Slavery: the equivalent of the entire population of Exeter, and many more than are known to the authorities and receiving support.
The group felt confident after the talk to use Caritas’ poster for parishes to help spot the signs of Modern Slavery, how to act upon any concerns and to spread understanding of this issue. The group will continue with practical actions to advocate for an end to Modern Slavery and exploitation, to identify people in need and report concerns, and to pray regularly for all those caught up in this evil crime, remembering the importance of the dignity of the person as we were all made in God’s image.