The Vatican News portal (February 6, 2026) profiles Lone Botshelo, a Talitha Kum “Youth Ambassador” from Botswana, promoting anti-trafficking initiatives through digital campaigns and interfaith collaboration ahead of the February 8 “World Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking.” The article celebrates his use of social media activism, inter-institutional “dialogue,” and youth workshops while omitting any reference to the supernatural means of combating evil.
Naturalism Disguised as Charity
The entire campaign reduces the Church’s mission to social work, committing the error condemned by Pius XI: “When God and Jesus Christ were removed from laws and states… the foundations of authority were destroyed” (Encyclical Ubi Arcano, 1922). Nowhere does Botshelo mention:
- The necessity of sacramental grace to overcome concupiscence driving trafficking
- The Kingship of Christ over nations as the only foundation for true justice
- The duty of states to recognize the Catholic Church as the sole ark of salvation
Instead, we find the modernist substitution: “human trafficking thrives where people are silent” replaces the Church’s timeless teaching that “sin thrives where grace is rejected” (Council of Trent, Session VI). The described “candlelight procession” bears the marks of empty sentimentalism, devoid of reparation to the Sacred Heart or prayers for the conversion of perpetrators.
False Ecumenism in Anti-Trafficking Efforts
Botshelo praises the “national panel discussion” uniting “Church leaders, social workers, law enforcement officers, and government leaders” as essential collaboration. This violates Pius IX’s condemnation of the error that “The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church” (Syllabus of Errors, Prop. 55). The article admits their goal is to “walk with the government, not go against it” – a betrayal of the Church’s duty to subordinate civil power to divine law.
We want to walk with the government, not go against it. Whether through funding, training, or shared projects, partnership is the key.
This “partnership” accepts the secular state’s autonomy, directly opposing Leo XIII’s teaching: “States must obey God” (Encyclical Immortale Dei, 1885). Nowhere is there a demand for Botswana to recognize Catholicism as the state religion or to ban false worship – the only proven method to eradicate societal corruption.
Digital Vanity Over Spiritual Combat
The obsession with “trends, vlogs, and storytelling” exposes the movement’s modernism. Pius X condemned those who “exaggerate the value of active works while neglecting interior sanctification” (Encyclical Pascendi, 1907). Botshelo boasts that “digital platforms can become spaces of education and conversion,” reducing conversion to woke terminology rather than the metanoia demanded by Christ (Mark 1:15).
The article mentions a novena to St. Josephine Bakhita while omitting that her true power lies in her conversion from Islam to Catholicism and reception of the sacraments – facts inconvenient to Talitha Kum’s interreligious agenda. Her story is weaponized for social activism rather than held up as proof of grace’s triumph over pagan darkness.
Omissions That Condemn
The silence on these truths speaks volumes:
- No mention of Mary Most Holy as the refuge of sinners and destroyer of heresies – the traditional remedy against societal decay
- No call for Botswana’s consecration to the Sacred Heart – the only solution to national crises
- No distinction between true charity (converting souls) and modernist “solidarity” (temporal aid without supernatural intent)
This aligns perfectly with Bergoglio’s “Church of Accompaniment” that never demands repentance. As the Syllabus of Errors condemns: “The Church is incapable of effectively defending evangelical ethics because it adheres to immutable doctrines” (Prop. 63). Talitha Kum proves this by embracing the world’s methods rather than imposing Christ’s reign.
Conclusion: A Distraction From True Slavery
While physical trafficking deserves condemnation, this campaign ignores the spiritual trafficking of souls toward hell through indifferentism. It exemplifies the “cult of man” warned against in the Oath Against Modernism: “…placing man above God, the spirit of the world above the Spirit of God.” Until Talitha Kum demands Botswana’s submission to the Social Kingship of Christ and the banning of false religions, its efforts are but philanthropy disguised as charity – the very definition of apostasy in action.
Source:
Talitha Kum Youth Ambassador: ‘Use all platforms to end trafficking' (vaticannews.va)
Date: 06.02.2026