Speaking of Vatican Radio on January 3, Bishop Sgreccia confirmed that the tsunami left many children as orphans. Some unscrupulous agencies have begun offering adoption services at a cost-- in effect, setting a market for these bereaved children.

Bishop Sgreccia spoke of "the traffic in human lives, which unfortunately existed even before the tragedy, and which continues elsewhere in the world in the practice of illicit adoptions." He argued that: "Our civilization must make this disgrace disappear."

Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, the apostolic nuncio in Indonesia, told the AsiaNews service that he had no direct evidence about illegal adoption services, but he reported that the Indonesian government has shown an active concern about profiteers working in that field.

The situation facing children in southeast Asia, the nuncio said, is "a tragedy within a tragedy." He explained: "There were quite a few victims among the children, and many others have been left without parents. Their situation is really difficult, especially from a psychological perspective."