ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Each year, through the Sisters of Mary, more than 21,000 children from six countries receive care and education in World Villages’ boystowns and girlstowns to protect them from, and in some cases prevent, human trafficking.
The scourge of this human trafficking is insidious.
“A few days ago, over lunch in Mexico, I spoke to three graduate students from the Girlstown communities, each of whom shared first-hand accounts of sex slavery,” Kevin Wells, vice president of public relations at World Villages, told the Register.
“One told me that she recently visited a friend in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Her friend’s father used to frequent a notorious bar where young children engaged in sexual acts on him and other men. She said most people in town knew about the bar, including local politicians and police officers, but would take no action to close it,” he continued. “The violence of poverty has increased sex slavery and human trafficking in the poor counties where the sisters work.”
The need to combat such horrors makes Sound of Freedom, the new hit film based on a true story, a timely one that sheds light on the dark world of child sex trafficking.
“The film grabbed me from the start,” Wells said.
“I guess I’d classify it as a thriller, but it was much more because it explored a third-track subject that’s largely untouched by the media, politicians and the Catholic Church,” he said.
“Some scenes were difficult to watch, but thank goodness the producers and actors made this evil visible to the world. Sound of Freedom only scratches the surface of the sick underworld; The hope is that an electrifying force can begin to attack this demonic tribe beneath us. Unfortunately, that darkness has spread across America, where men have become “buyers” and “users.”
And that’s why the work of World Villages, which has helped more than 150,000 children and their families lift themselves out of poverty, is essential.
“The Sisters of Mary save the world’s poorest children from the violence of poverty by helping to restore children’s bodies and souls and send them out to graduate high school,” Wells said. Wells’ best-selling book, Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, tells the story of its founding.
Wells has met many hundreds of children in the Boystown and Girlstown communities who have been gathered by the Sisters of Mary and in pairs are scaling the most dangerous places on earth.
“Shoulder to shoulder they walk narrow paths to get to the oppressed villages where the most vulnerable boys and girls in the world live. Sisters were kidnapped and held at gunpoint. So far no one has been fatally injured. God be with them, they say, on those trails of blood,” Wells said.
Wells is not alone in his assessment of the new film and its needed message.
Heartbreaking!
It was sold out but I’ll try again.
It motivated me to pray more to protect the children and people who are victims of human trafficking.
These are some comments from interviews with moviegoers watching Sound of Freedom. It awakens people from ignorance and apathy and makes headlines at the box office. With a production budget of $14.5 million and a run of only 2,634 theaters, the film grossed $11.69 million when it premiered on July 4, beating all other films of the day, including Disney’s new one “Indiana Jones,” which had a budget of $295 million and ran in 4,600 theaters. As of July 19, the film had grossed over $90 million.
The aim was to raise awareness of the two million children who are exploited in the international sex trade every year. Jim Caviezel, best known for The Passion of the Christ and The Count of Monte Cristo, plays Tim Ballard, the real-life hero who quits his job as a Homeland Security agent to embark on a perilous journey through the jungles of Colombia acted to save children.
“It’s so important that everyone sees this film and supports it. Not only was it so artistic and beautifully produced, it’s the mission and message of interest behind it. It’s nothing like there was before,” Cheri Ballinger, a Hollywood veteran, told the Register.
A devout Catholic, Ballinger was the executive producer of Roe v. Wade, the 2021 film that tells the backstory of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision legalizing abortion nationwide. She knows Caviezel personally and supports Ballard, who started Operation Underground Railroad to rescue children.
“Now more people can see what Ballard and his foundation have done and what they stand for,” she said.
When asked what moved her most about the film, Ballinger pointed to Caviezel’s portrayal of Ballard. “To me, Jim’s performance and the intensity he brings to the character in portraying Tim Ballard is all the more moving because he’s a real person who’s still working.” He’s not someone from the past,” she said. “We can read today what Tim Ballard is doing. Jim’s beautiful performance made me cry.”
“It’s not a Disney movie. It’s a heavy film. The subject was difficult. I had tears in my eyes; it’s so moving. For many reasons, and not just this one, it’s going to hit you in the heart,” Ballinger added.
Ballinger was asked if “Sound of Freedom” represents a change in Hollywood. “What we’re seeing now is a pendulum shift,” she said. “The audience and the public yearn for the truth. We’ve gone so far to the other side, and I think people are waking up and wanting the truth and seeing it in the film. Film is a powerful tool when used for the right reasons. This film embodies that,” she said. In regards to how the film can bring about change, she referred to the film she co-produced, Roe v. Wade” and the subsequent Dobbs Supreme Court decision on abortion, saying, “People tend to say, ‘There’s no hope.’” No, no, there’s always hope. And the film is powerful at that.”
“As Catholics, we have a duty to protect all children, to protect all life, which leads to our commitment to life and to protecting all phases of life. Children are the most vulnerable among us. It’s so important for Catholics to stand proud and say, “We are part of the Church that Christ established.” “It is our duty to protect His children.” I like what Jim said, ‘God’s children stand not for sale!'”
“We lost that message in society. We are all children of God. As members of the one, holy, apostolic Church, we must defend life and children,” she said.
“Today’s Greatest Evil”
Jay Weingarten, a fundraiser for the Maryknoll Fathers, said in an interview that he was moved to tears by the Sound of Freedom. He and his wife, Angela, attended the sold-out audience in Clearwater, Florida to see the film.
“The film was excellent; It exceeded my expectations tenfold,” he said. “Let’s make this known,” he continued. “Currently, children are sweating and dying in shipping containers” on ships bound for unsafe destinations. Weingarten said of his feelings watching the film, “I had tears in my eyes, even more than I did with The Passion of the Christ.” There is a difference between the two, for we know that Christ triumphs in the end. But with this film, we had no idea how it would end.”
“My favorite part of the film, expressed throughout the film, was ‘God’s children are not for sale.’ They are not slaves,” said Angela Weingarten, adding that some trafficked children are abused 15 times a night.
Noted bilingual Catholic evangelist Jesse Romero, who is also the retired deputy sheriff of Los Angeles, said after seeing the film, “The film showed me that this is just a microcosm of an international problem.” I recall me that years ago there were children’s faces on milk cartons. It all makes sense now.”
“One of the things that pained me because my parents are Mexican is that Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of child sex trafficking,” Romero said.
“What also pained me as a proud American is that the United States is the largest consumer of the child sex trade. This is painful to swallow. But it makes sense because our country has abandoned its Christian morality,” he said. “I learned from the film that human trafficking is a $150 billion business involving politicians and political parties. This film sheds light on this international, diabolical problem.”
For Catholics motivated to take action, Wells called for support of World Villages and reaching out to clergy to support continued action by US bishops campaigning to end human trafficking. “Write, call, or set up a meeting with your local bishop and ask that the USCCB start putting a lot more money into actually fighting human trafficking,” he said. “It’s the greatest evil in the world. Unfortunately, it seems to me, the voice of the Church as a counter force against this evil underworld has largely fallen silent. We know what Christ said about millstones and the smallest of them. Does this dynamic include those who are largely silent in the face of the greatest evil of our time?”
Others, touched by the film, offered further suggestions on how to respond to the evil it portrays.
Pro-life activist and retired teacher Bob Pawson of Tucson, Arizona, noted that while the film helps break the silence on human trafficking, the abortion industry overlaps with it. He pointed out that the film’s slogan – “God’s children are not for sale” – extends to the fact that Planned Parenthood sells aborted baby parts.
“It is important for those fighting sex trafficking to speak up outside of nearby abortion facilities. Many trafficked girls are taken to have abortions. That way they can actually rescue women and girls who are victims of human trafficking, both locally and in faraway countries thousands of miles away,” he said. “Your mission area is much closer to home than you think. Women who are victims of sex trafficking are desperate for you to save them while they are being trafficked to your city’s abortion facilities.”
Barb Plum of Bismarck, North Dakota, went early with her husband to secure a seat and watched the local theater fill up for a recent performance.
“The viewers were silent,” she said. “There was no whispering or rattling of candy boxes. The subject is heartbreaking. God bless Tim Ballard and all the angels who helped him complete his mission. I can’t say I loved it because it broke my heart, but I can say it’s probably one of the most powerful movies I’ve seen in my life. I pray it is seen by every adult in the world. I pray it can shed a bright light on the darkness of child trafficking and put an end to the people who are getting away with it.”
St. Louis moviegoer Cathy Gilmore said after seeing the film, “Evil triumphs when it hides in the shadows. Shout it from the rooftops, “God’s children are not for sale!” If you’ve ever used porn, stop now. Tell everyone to stop.”
“Pray in groups and pray specific prayers,” Gilmore added. “Dear God, protect the innocence of our children. Free the children who are enslaved and abused. Restore the hearts and souls of injured children.”
resources
Here are some Catholic resources on preventing and healing victims of human trafficking:
Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta against Human Trafficking
WorldVillages.org
Metanoia-inc.com Metanoia Manor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana serves girls recovering from sex trafficking. You can also email the founder Father Jeff Bayhi at [email protected].
Children of the Immaculate Heart offers a residential and rehabilitation program for adult women and their children.
USCCB Anti-Trafficking Program
Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking:
Order of Malta Deb O’Hara Ruskowski is leading the initiative to convert a Catholic vicarage in the Archdiocese of Boston into a safe home for women and is encouraging Catholic dioceses to donate property to safe houses.