Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 105, December 2007

for the protection of Children in Tourism*

Rev. Jeremy Fairhead

Pontifical Council for the

Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People

Mr Chairman,

As the representative of the Pontifical Council for The Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant people I would like to begin by saying that in our Council we have nine sectors of specific pastoral care. This Dicastery of the Roman Curia contributes to the pastoral care of human mobility in its many facets throughout the world.  Therefore, I bring you cordial greetings from our President, His Eminence Cardinal Martino and from our Secretary, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto. They assure you of their good wishes, support for the meeting today and for the task ahead.

For a considerable number of years, as part of its engagement giving pastoral care to migrant and itinerant people, we have, at the Pontifical Council, been aware of the growing need to care pastorally for those  who are away from home as tourists.  For many, tourism is clearly a time of relaxation and pleasure, but for some it has become a term associated with a desire to abuse.  Nowhere is this more so than in the field of sex-tourism, and in particular with minors, both boys and girls.

Moreover, we are aware that the sex-tourist industry has now reached global proportions. It is something that has the need to be combated  by every level: Government, Society, Church, community and family.  The supply factors of poverty, lack of education and employment, awareness, gender discrimination, broken families, internal migration, bad law enforcement and a lack of basic needs touches the very heart of the life of the Church.  The desire to promote humanity dignity in all its fullness and richness is at the core of the message of the Gospel of peace.

The Church has supported, and continues to do so, the many initiatives that are part of a  wider network combating the blight of sex-tourism, especially with minors.  Our Council has, on several occasions, brought together different groups, both nationally and internationally, as a means of not only exchanging methodologies in this area, but also as a means of support in this very  difficult task.  Our work acts too as a stimulus for the various Episcopal Conferences throughout the world. Recent meetings such as that of the Sixth World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism, at Bangkok, in Thailand, in July 2004[1] brought together representatives of the many different agencies, throughout the world,  both within and beyond the Catholic Church.

We are committed to collaborating with the many and varied organisations, inter-governmental, governmental and local, that work to alleviate those affected by sex-tourism.  Within the Church we have encouraged dioceses and communities to give due pastoral care to children who have been exploited and to encourage the raising of awareness within society as to the seriousness of the situation and the sharing of information about this social evil and ways to address it.  We have also asked that Dioceses and Catholic communities concerned establish structures for the pastoral care of children and that they co-operate, in both dialogue and action with state and administrative authorities and well as with other Churches and Ecclesial Communities.  In addition, we are encouraging the building up of existing apostolates that care for sexually exploited minors, or for the establishment of new ones that care for all victims with compassion and love, and provides legal assistance, therapy and reintegration into society, and where Christians are involved, into the faith community.[2] 

A clear example of this would be "The Sisters of Adoration, Slaves of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity," who operate rescued sex victim's mission centres in Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, India, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and other countries. There is the very well known work of Fr Shay Cullen MSSC and the PREDA Foundation in the Philippines[3]. Or a new initiative of the Diocese of Westminster here at the heart of London, women@thewell, a very recent Catholic charity set up  by the Sisters of Mercy to provide a range of services to women and children sexually exploited through prostitution. Back in Italy there are over two hundred sisters dedicated to the liberation of women, of whom many are minors caught in the web of prostitution and sex-tourism. These are just examples of some of the many initiatives that the Catholic Church is taking in this field of pastoral care.

We are also aware that sex-tourism is so often the result of poverty and homelessness.  Whilst there is not time to develop this area of our pastoral concern, our work with those who are homeless, especially with those who are children living on the streets plays a vital part in our combating of the conditions that lead many young into forms of prostitution. The First International Meeting for the Pastoral Care of Street Children took place in Rome in October 2004.[4] This was followed by the First International Meeting on the Pastoral Care for the Liberation of the Women of the Street, among whom are many minors,  in June 2005[5]. Later this month, our Council will be holding the First International Pastoral Meeting for the Homeless, once again, in Rome.

Finally, I would add that the church, following its principles, is committed to the eradication of HIV/AIDS and to the pastoral care of those who have become unwell, their families and dependants. I don’t need to underline how this  touches at the very core of many of those who have been caught up in the web of sex-tourism.

I would like to finish by saying  that our participation here to be a clear sign of the Church’s deep concern, care  and support in combating  the problem of sex-tourism, and to do all that it can to support and collaborate with all the many agencies working in this specific field.

Thank you!