A sculpture against oppression and human trafficking features St. Josephine Bakhita, who experienced slavery firsthand, and will be unveiled by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.
The work is called “Let The Oppressed Go Free” and will be installed in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Schio, a town in northeastern Italy, where St. Bakhita died.
The sculpture depicts the saint, patron saint of trafficking victims, opening a manhole from which people, of various ages and ethnic groups, escape from their kidnapping.
The artist and author, Timothy Schmalz, has produced several works which protest injustices in the world, such as “Homeless Jesus”, “Angels without knowing it”, about migrants, and “Refuge”, about homeless people.
The inauguration will take place this Thursday, June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and will be attended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. In addition, Schmalz and his benefactor, Christopher Bratty, are scheduled to meet with Pope Francis on June 28.
It should be noted that this sculpture “Let The Oppressed Go Free” with St. Bakhita is also in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and was unveiled in March of this year by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of the Diocese of New York.
St. Bakhita and Human Trafficking
As a child, St. Bakhita (1869-1947) was kidnapped by two foreigners, who subsequently gave her the name Bakhita.
She was sold to various masters as a slave and received countless mistreatments. Her last master was an Italian merchant who took her to his country in order to take care of his family. She later became acquainted with religious life and joined the Sisters of Canossa. She wrote a book about her life and toured various places giving lectures on what she had suffered. She died in Schio saying: “Madonna, Madonna.”
Although slavery is punished and condemned in many parts of the world, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor or organ removal still exists.
