On September 6th Pope Francis will head to Colombia on a 4 day visit to help bolster and nurture the peace process between the government and the various insurgencies groups that have been war for over 53 years. Although the hope for peace a reconciliation can be felt throughout Colombia, there are organizations that exploited the collective chaos and desperation during these times for their own gains and seek to further their own interest on the back of this papal visit.

"La Casa De La Madre y el Niño" (Referred to as "La Casa") is such an organization that has facilitated and participated in the trafficking of children in its storied history by exploiting vulnerable women and children along with documented cases of kidnapping and countless instances of falsifying birth records and other official documents. These stories have stood the scrutiny of journalistic standards in practices in multiple countries.

As per “La Casa’s” own official social media page, they have released the following statement translated from Spanish on September 1st:

“30 children from our house were chosen to welcome Pope Francis

It fills us with pride and happiness that President Juan Manuel Santos and the first lady Maria Mercy De Santos have chosen the children of the mother and child's house to receive his holiness Pope Francis at the airport on 6 September during his apostolic visit to Colombia. It is an honor to receive his holiness.”

The message is simple… the Pope’s visit cannot and must not enable “La Casa De La Madre y el Niño" or any other organization to use moment to further exploit these children. As lead petitioners, We, a collation of 30 Adult Adoptees from “La Casa” cannot remain silent any longer.

We would like to remind key decision makers within the Holy See to be mindful that in 2016 “AMORIS LÆTITIA (The Joy Of Love)” was written following the Synods of the family in 2014 & 2014. Pope Francis by his own hand wrote guidelines for clergy as well as the Catholic Community on how to address issues of the Family. Although this is Sectarian document, many of the fundamental themes are ones universally embraced by the faithful and non-faithful alike and transcend multiple nations, religions and philosophies.

Pope Francis specifically wrote the following as it pertains to child trafficking:

"On the other hand, “the trafficking of children between countries and continents needs to be prevented by appropriate legislative action and state control…" - CHAPTER FIVE Love made fruitful under the section titled "An expanding fruitfulness" in Paragraph 180

"La Casa De La Madre y el Niño" is not only the antithesis of the intended spirit of “AMORIS LÆTITIA (The Joy Of Love)” in thought, word, intent or deed but its representatives have not only not been held accountable but remain unrepentant. In fact, both mothers and children looking to reunite were lied to directly and repeatedly by providing false information and no information. This is also substantiated by private investigators as well as direct DNA evidence. No peace process cannot be truly built upon without true reconciliation.

Therefore, We, the 30 adult adoptees from "La Casa De La Madre y el Niño" and our supporters petition and implore the key decision makers within the Holy See to prohibit “La Casa De La Madre y el Niño" from being included in any ceremonies during the Pope’s visit. To do so opens the Pope Francis and Holy See to moral hazard of enabling known Child traffickers as violence of any kind only breeds violence and stands to undermine the efforts to support the family unit.

1. Christopher Maerling (USA - Born 1975)
2. Alicia Thier Schlehuber (USA - Born 1975)
3. Michael Amezquita (USA - Born 1975)
4. Nicole Allyson Culverhouse (USA - Born 1971)
5. Luz L Torres (USA - Born 1985)
6. Laura Harris (USA - Born 1983)
7. Norina Vazquez (USA - Born 1972)
8. Carlee Smith (USA - Born 1976)
9. Renée De Meo (USA - Born 1975)
10. Amanda Lowery (USA - Born 1979)
11. Wayne Manzur (USA - Born 1975)
12. Bari Gaire (USA - Born 1976)
13. Lisa Batchelor (USA - Born 1975)
14. Jennifer Milian (USA - Born 1979)
15. Allison Reinhardt (USA - Born 1976)
16. Pamela Reister (USA - Born 1974)
17. Sonia Choquette (USA - Born 1975)
18. Marina van Rossen (Netherlands - Born 1975)
19. Maria Anderson Ward (USA - Born 1988)
20. Marta Karski Salman (USA - Born 1973)
21. Kristen Radian (USA - Born 1978)
22. Jason Their (USA - Born 1976)
23. Hugo Ordonez (USA - Born 1976)
24. Cara Jagodowski (USA - Born 1974)
25. Stephanie Hassani (USA - Born 1979)
26. Timothy Kennedy (USA - Born 1971
27. Hernan Iriarte (USA - Born 1962)
28. Alexandra Cuellar (USA - Born 1977)
29. Paul Reinhardt (USA - Born 1978)
30. Paulo Santafé (Netherlands - Born 1978)