SEAFARERS

SEAFARERS

Cardinal Turkson, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development,

Vatican Appeals for Safe Passage Home for Stranded Seafarers under Pandemic

It is estimated that more than 300,000 seafarers and marine personnel are currently stranded at sea, due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has appealed for their safe passage home.

By Robin Gomes

As the Catholic Church marks 100 years of its ministry to seafarers, the Vatican is calling on governments, international, national organizations and port authorities to cooperate and create “special channels” to facilitate safe and secure crew changes, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to roil the world.

SEAFARERS

Stranded at sea

“We would like to see the seafarers stranded at sea back in their countries and reunited with their love ones,” said Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Travel restrictions, borders closure and quarantine measures due to the pandemic, he noted, has triggered a humanitarian emergency crisis at sea. “It is estimated that more than 300,000 seafarers and marine personnel are currently stranded at sea, their contracts extended far more than the 11-months limit set out in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), away from their loved ones, under mental stress and physical fatigue.

100 years of Apostleship of the Sea

He made the appeal in a letter to bishops, promoters, regional coordinators, national directors, chaplains and volunteers of the Catholic Church's ministry to seafarers worldwide called the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), whose centres at ports are known as Stella Maris. The Vatican official issued the letter thahead of the 25 World Congress of the Stella Maris/Apostleship of the Sea and the Centenary Celebration,

Changing world

thscheduled for October 4 in Glasgow, The cardinal noted that the maritime Scotland, where it all began. But industry has changed enormously with because of the pandemic, the larger and computerized ships, manned celebration is taking place online. by multi-national, multi-cultural and The Apostleship of the Sea, which multi-religious crew. At the same time, ministers to seafarers, regardless of dangers such as piracy, crime, their nationality, belief, sex or race, was abandonment and the pandemic have born during a meeting in a Catholic increased the stress, the fatigue and Institute in Cochrane Street, Glasgow, the isolation of the crew. The AoS has on October 4, 1920. Pope Pius XI also evolved adopting new technology blessed and approved the first to respond to the material and Constitution of AoS in a letter dated 22 spiritual needs of the seafarers, fishers April 1922. Successive popes have and their families. always encouraged the growth of this Apostolate. Seafarers' needs are the same While the structures and designs of Serving more than 1 million ports have changed, Cardinal Turkson seafarers said, the needs of the seafarers and A century later, hundreds of chaplains fishers have not. Every time they dock, and many more volunteers present in they yearn to contact their families, to around 300 ports, are carrying out at seek advice for contractual problems least 70,000 ship visits a year and or simply they would like to talk. reaching out to more than a million Despite the restrictions of Covid-19, seafarers. he said, the substance of the service of Cardinal Turkson expressed gratitude AoS should be essentially a “ministry of for the countless 'Apostles' of all presence”. The cardinal urged them to nationalities who through the decades “make use of all the instruments that have spent their lives with dedication the technology offers us to be present and commitment in different ports of in the lives of the people of the sea the world, in the service of the people offering friendship, support, of the sea. encouragement and continuous prayers.