“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ,” according to Pope Francis. “It is a crime against humanity.” These are his comments after meeting with four former sex slaves during a Vatican conference against human trafficking. Church workers, charity representatives, and police chiefs from 20 nations, Interpol and Europol pledged greater cooperation to prevent trafficking and encourage its victims to come forward to police. Pope Francis has made combatting human trafficking and slavery a priority for his papacy. For the Pope’s full statement, click here.