Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
Message
for Sea Sunday 2011 (10th July 2011)
Dear
chaplains, volunteers, friends and supporters of the Apostleship of the Sea,
The celebration of Sea Sunday is a special occasion to increase awareness in the
Christian communities and society at large of the indispensable services that seafarers
are rendering to all of us, and to present the maritime ministry carried out since
1920 by the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea in many ports of
the world. “My presence among you today would like to stress that the Church
is close to you, honors your often dangerous and hard work, is aware of your worries
and concerns, supports your rights, and gives comfort to your loneliness and homesickness”.
These words which Blessed John Paul II addressed to the seafarers and fishers
in the city of Fano (Italy) in his homily on 12th August 1984 are a great
message of hope for the almost 1.5 million seafarers from over 100 nations (2/3 of
them from developing countries) who are serving daily the needs of the global economy
by transporting 90% of world trade. Though our life greatly benefits from their
hard labor and sacrifices, seafarers are a category of workers whom we do not know
much about, except when they make the headlines because of some tragedies at sea,
or, more recently, because of the increase in vessel hijackings by pirates, but there
are very many problems that affect their lives. In recent years, the criminalization
of crews for maritime accidents (shipwrecks, pollution, etc.), the abandonment of
seafarers in foreign ports without food or money, the new restrictions on shore leave,
the lack of safety and security, and long periods on board have added further stress
and strain not only to the seafarers' lives, but also to their families and relatives
as well. The Apostleship of the Sea is aware of the many inhuman situations that
persist in the maritime world and it stands at the side of seafarers to reiterate
that their human and labor rights must be respected. Recalling our recent statement
on piracy (26th May 2011), we stress the importance for the maritime sector
(ship owners, P&I Clubs, etc.) to work hand in hand with governments, international
organizations and welfare service providers to put preventive measures in place in
order to guarantee the seafarers' safety. To provide further protection to the people
working at sea, we appeal to all national governments to immediately adopt the ILO
Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 and favor its coming into force. Otherwise, it
would have only theoretical value, even though it is one of the most significant achievements
in the entire history of seafarers’ rights. In its fight for justice in the maritime
world, the Apostleship of the Sea is guided by the principles of the Gospel and the
teaching of the Social Doctrine of the Church. The words of Pope Pius XI on 17th
April 1922 approving and blessing the first Constitution and Rules of the Apostleship
of the Sea, encourage us to continue the mission “to expand the maritime ministry”
so that the Work “will gather the most abundant fruits of salvation”. 90years after this important event in the history of the Apostleship of the Sea,
I am pleased to announce that next year we will hold the XXIII World Congress of the
Apostleship of the Sea in Rome from 19th to 23rd November, to
reflect and share the challenges brought by the continuous changes in the maritime
world. Finally, on this special day dedicated to the people of the sea, I entrust
the seafaring and fishing communities to the maternal protection of Mary, Stella Maris.