The Vatican has called for an end to the "modern slavery" of prostitution.And it is urging countries across the world to introduce new laws to protect women from violence and to punish their clients.
The call comes in a document by the Vatican's department on migrant issues which spells out the exploitation of women from activities including human trafficking and sex tourism.
It said: "The victims of prostitution are human beings, who in many cases cry out for help, to be freed from slavery.
"The customers too are people with deeply rooted problems, and in a certain sense are also slaves.
"An effective measure towards cultural change with respect to prostitution could derive from associating criminal law with social condemnation."
Monsignor Agostino Marchetto explained: "We think that there should be not only protection of women but also a punishment for the clients."
He said the Vatican would push for legislation along the Swedish model, which penalises customers with jail sentences and fines based on their salaries.
The section of the document that dealt with prostitution - "Pastoral Ministry for the Liberation of Street Women" - said men who frequent prostitutes should be aware of the Church's "clear condemnation of their sins and the injustice they commit".
The clients of prostitutes are not punished in many countries, including Italy.
And Italian law effectively turns a blind eye to prostitution, punishing only "exploiters of prostitution" or pimps.
The numbers of prostitutes on Italian streets has increased dramatically recently. Many of the women are from the former Soviet Bloc or Nigeria and authorities say many are victims of human trafficking.
"Prostitution is a form of modern slavery," the document said.
It noted complex social, economic and cultural reasons behind the dramatic rise in the number of prostitutes worldwide.
"It is important to recognise that sexual exploitation and prostitution linked to people trafficking are acts of violence, which constitute an offence to human dignity and a serious violation of fundamental rights," it said.
The document said the Church wanted "application of laws that protect women from the evil of prostitution and people trafficking" but also effective measures against humiliating portrayals of women in advertising.
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