Trafficking tops agenda for Welby’s Vatican meeting

The Archbishop of Canterbury is to step up his joint effort with the Catholic Church to combat human trafficking when he meets Pope Francis on Monday, writes Christopher Lamb.

Tomorrow, Archbishop Justin Welby is to meet with the Global Freedom Network, a joint initiative of Catholics, Anglicans and Muslims, which seeks to eradicate slavery and trafficking by 2020.

Also at the meeting will be  Cardinals Jean-Louis Tauran, George Pell and Peter Turkson. The network, backed by both Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby, aims to work with international organisations and governments. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who recently chaired an anti-trafficking conference in the Vatican, will also accompany the archbishop during his visit to Rome, which will include a visit to a refugee centre run by the Community of Sant’Egidio and a meeting with survivors of trafficking. He will have lunch on Monday with Pope Francis and will meet Fr Adolfo Nicolás, the superior general of the Jesuits.

The archbishop will be accompanied by the Revd Nicky Gumbel, the founder of the Alpha Course.