Vatican City, Jul 1, 2014 / 05:43 am (CNA/EWTN News).- U.S. ambassador to the Holy See Ken Hackett has praised the attention Pope Francis is giving to the “scourge” of human trafficking, and spoke of collaborative initiatives aimed at its eradication.

“These days when the Pope speaks on any issue it raises the attention level worldwide, and he has done that specifically with human trafficking calling it a ‘scourge,’” the ambassador told CNA June 27.