Pope Francis gave his message to different cultures and religions to unite and fight modern slavery on New Year.
St. Peter's Basilica's first mass of 2015, with a theme "No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters," marks the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace.
The pope said, "All of us are called [by God] to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters, and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture and religion, let us join our forces."
Pope Francis added, "Freedom frightens us because it places time before us and, with it, the responsibility to live it well. A nostalgia for slavery nests in our hearts because it appears more reassuring than freedom, which is much riskier."
It was last month when Pope Francis appealed to shoppers to avoid buying low-cost goods and that these may be products of forced labour and other forms of exploitation. He also condemned people who are using funds meant to help the poor as their own personal money.
According to the Walk Free Foundation's second global slavery index released in November, an approximately 36 million people are suffering from slavery, human trafficking, victims of debt and forced labour.
The pope also delivered his New Year's day message after the mass, saying, "Peace is always possible but we have to seek it. Let us pray for peace."