International Meeting on Pastoral Care
for Street Women
VATICAN
First International Meeting on Pastoral Care for Street Women: “An insult
to fundamental values common to all cultures and peoples, values rooted
in the very nature of the human person” said Cardinal Fumio Hamao
The greater part of this trade “is the first consequence
of a system of injustice at the basis of society and which in a number
of areas leads to exploitation of women” the Cardinal said mentioning
the improper use of the image of the woman, the never-ending scourge
of prostitution, new forms of slavery, that is trafficking in women
and the industry of sex tourism. “All of this is an insult to women
and a serious violation of the most elementary of human rights” said
Cardinal Fumio Hamao. The purpose of the Meeting is to provide an opportunity
for serious reflection on the numerous, complex and latent questions
inherent to these evils, in order to provide material and spiritual
support to help women gradually free themselves of the yoke of exploitation.
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical
Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples in his
intervention on the subject “Street women today, a pastoral challenge”
said that the meeting followed an “international Congress on Pastoral
Care for Street Children last year and is a sign of our deep concern
for this ‘category’ - if we may use this word - of people with a special
need for authentic charity, apostolic zeal in the exercise of the indispensable
mission of the Good Samaritan”.
Although reflection will focus mainly on Europe, on this
continent many street women are non European. “Prostitution is not a
decision (when it is a decision and not violence) made easily, lightly
with pleasure - said Archbishop. Marchetto - instead it often entails
living with distress, pain and suffering borne in order to survive.
For some prostitution is the only “way out”, but to which there is again
no “way out”, and which entails violence, cynicism, self -destruction
and sometimes even death. But what street women are looking for is what
every human person desires, to be loved and respected by someone.”
This meeting in itself is a sign of the Catholic Church’s profound concern
for the plight of street women, said Archbishop Marchetto, and determination
to put together interactive reflection and experience sharing “to form
a basis for greater co-operation and co-ordination in pastoral care
for women suffering from exploitation and abuse, in particular sexual
abuse, in view not only of solidarity but also specific dialoguing and
missionary pastoral care of communion”.
(S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 20/6/2005; Righe 39 - Parole 517)