Human trafficking issues and the Pope

Human trafficking is a very important current problem. Last week, more than 200 migrants heading for Europe drowned off the LIban coast after their overloaded boat capsized. In Italy, the problem of illegal immigration reaches its peak. 24 Afghan children aged between 10 and 15 were found by police living in sewer tunnels beneath Ostiense railway station. There are an estimated 1,100 foreign street children in Rome. mostly Afghan, North African and Romanian. Today, Pope Benedict XVI called for urgent global action to halt human trafficking. He advices co-ordinated strategies between the EU and African countries as well as "the adoption of adequate humanitarian measures". According to him, African problems would end only when African countries "will free themselves from misery and war". the Pope also called nations who haven't done so (such as USA, Russia, CHina and India) to sign the United Nations anti-landmine convention.


This article rose a lot of questions about the world's situation as well as the role of religion, and more particularly the one of the Pope. It is true that human trafficking is a real and very important problem. If misery and war ended in Africa, African countries would be more able to rebuild their economy as well as their poplation's lives. Solutions need to be found. If we want to tackle the issue from its sources, the "rich countries" could give more money to African countries (as they don't give all the money they agreed to, even if they are in a period of economic crisis). I think that the North countries try to resolve these problems with the G8 and J8 for example. Unless the J8 is only a pretext to show their preocupations and show that they are interested in what young people think about global issues. However, I think that these questions are more and more talked about recently.
Nevertheless, the article focuses more on the Pope. This makes me go to other questions rose by this article. Indeed, the Pope seems to recommand and call nations and states about policies they should take in order to solve theses problems. Being French (with the separation of the church from the state), I'm wondering to what extent does the Pope have an influence on the states. Unless, the Pope having a huge influence on the population and especially young people, this could lead to a pression on states from the population. This makes me wonder if it is a good thing. Indeed, if the Pope (as anyone else) can have an influence on the states' policies in order to improve such bad situations as we read above, it is great. But what the Pope is saying in this article is quite contradictory with what he said some weeks ago about condoms in Africa (use of condoms gets Aids problem worse, and that therapeutic abortion is a wrong thing) for example. It seems to me quite difficult to promote an improvement of African countries' situation if you encourage them not to protect themselves against health problems such as AIDS or having a baby at 9 years old. I know that attacking the Pope isn't really well seen, but I think that , as politicians'reactions showed it, he should be attacked as anyone else when he becomes too involved in such problems that what he says can be dangerous for other people. Then, it is a question of point of view and humanitarian security rather than a question of religion. However, as he seems to have an influence on people, whar he says should be carefully taken into account.