Pope Francis today decried human trafficking and female genital mutilation.

His comments came after praying the noonday Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square.

“Today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation,” Pope Francis said. “Approximately three million girls undergo this operation every year, often in conditions that are very dangerous to their health. This practice, unfortunately, widespread in various regions of the world, demeans the dignity of women and gravely undermines their physical integrity.

“And next Tuesday, liturgical memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, we will celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking. This is a deep wound, inflicted by the shameful pursuit of economic interests without any respect for the human person. So many girls – we see them on the streets – who are not free, are slaves of traffickers, who send them to work and, if they do not bring the money, beat them. This is happening in our cities today. Let us really think about it.

“Faced with these scourges of humanity, I express my sorrow and I urge all those with responsibility to act decisively to prevent both exploitation and the humiliating practices that afflict women and girls in particular.”

Josephine Margaret Bakhita, was a Sudanese-Italian Canossian religious sister who lived in Italy for 45 years, after having been a slave in Sudan. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era.