Churches celebrate Sea Sunday July 14th

(Vatican Radio) This Sunday, churches around the world mark Sea Sunday, a day to remember seafarers and pray for them, their families and those who’ve made it their apostleship to support them. On many people’s minds as we celebrate this year’s event will undoubtedly be Pope Francis’ recent visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa in solidarity with the tens of thousands of migrants who’ve braved the sea in search of a better life in another country Many never make it ashore.
John Green, Director of Development for the Apostleship of the Sea in the U.K., says he was struck by two aspects of the Pope’s visit to Lampedusa:
“There were two really important aspects of the Pope’s visit I think. One is that migrants, not only those traveling from North Africa to Lampedusa but across the world, generally fall between different jurisdictions and areas of responsibility to different people. And it’s very difficult for agencies to help them or for people to take responsibility because as (migrants) are on the move, they can fall between different people’s areas of responsibility. And secondly, this phrase that the Pope used, a “globalization of indifference:” that to some extent we’ve become so used to seeing great tragedies on our screens and hearing them on our airwaves that we can think, as the Pope said, “poor fellow” and move on.

And within that context, particularly in the maritime world, he highlights also the responsibility of those who work behind the scenes and who, anonymously, make socio-economic decisions. All those people who work in the background in shipping companies and in the fishing industry and to some extent, that’s all of us really. We all depend on seafarers for much of the trade that comes to us, we depend on - certainly on fishermen for the fish we eat – and to some extent, we’re all involved in this and it’s our responsibility as the Holy Father has done, to cry out really when we see instances of injustice in these situations, and say hold on, these people deserve much better for their dignity.”

“What is really going to help the maritime sector and the fishing industries has been two new conventions that have been about 10-15 years in the making. Both are promoted by the U.N’s International Labor Organization, the ILO: the Maritime Labor Convention, which has been ratified by sufficient states and should come into international law early next year we hope. Also of great significance is the fishing convention. Now, insufficient countries are coming forward to ratify this so it looks like this may not be put into international law and a lot of fishing communities that live in desperate conditions may actually not benefit from the great work that’s been done at the ILO. So that’s a real concern.”
Sea Sunday
Green says that part of the Apostleship of the Sea U.K.’s efforts this weekend will include raising awareness in parishes about the difficulties facing those who work in the maritime world.

“We’ll be contacting local parishes and first of all we’ll appeal to them to pray for the people of the sea, to remember them for much of what they do directly affects our lives. They bring much of our food to us, our clothing, much of the things we need each day. And they are separated from their families, their separated from their communities. On Sea Sunday, many of those at sea will not be able to get off the ship they’re on and go to church that day - so to remember them in prayer. But also to remember the port chaplains and the ship visitors of the Apostleship of the Sea. Many of them day in and day out, they visit ships, care for seafarers on their own. And for them it’s a great source of consolation and comfort knowing that there are many many people in the Church supporting them with their prayers.

Additionally, many churches will hold a collection to support the work of the Apostleship of the Sea. Pretty much all the work of the Apostleship of the Sea is supported by voluntary donations and support from many individuals within the Catholic Church. This is a great news story of the generosity of many individuals who make such a difference to many people whose lives are off the radar and on the margins.”

In the interview, Green speaks of other concerns such as piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and maritime territorial disputes such as those in the East China sea.

Listen to Tracey McClure's extended interview with John Green: