VATICAN CITY, JUN 26, 2007 (VIS) - "In Solidarity with the People of the Sea as Witnesses of Hope, through Proclamation of the Word, Liturgy and Diakonia," is the theme of the 22nd World Congress of the Apostleship of the Sea, which is being held in Gdynia, Poland from June 24 to 29 under the patronage of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) is an ecclesial organization that has more than 110 maritime centers and chaplaincies in almost all the main ports of the world. It is estimated that seafarers in the merchant marine number more than 1.2 million, most of them Catholics from poor countries, while those who work in the fishing industry number 41 million.
The AOS congress is held every five years, the last one having been in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In his opening address to the current congress, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, pointed out that "the milieu in which we as the AOS are called to bear witness ... remains today one of the most difficult, demanding and dangerous."
"In no other age have we seen such prosperity, wealth and technological advances in the maritime industry and yet countless workers of the sea are in extreme need, as so many of them are faced with new forms of slavery in their living and working conditions.
"Our apostolate in the AOS is one of presence and service. Our vocation is to incarnate Christ's love for those who suffer, the sick, the marginalized and the poor. We are also often called to stand alongside seafarers in defense of their rights and in doing so we are exercising the prophetic mission of the Church, because for us at the heart of social justice lies love of God and love of neighbor."
"The choice of theme," the archbishop concluded, "reflects our conviction that, in order to remain faithful to its tradition and identity, the AOS must carry out its role within the historical context in which the people of the sea live and work today. It is in this world that we are called to commit ourselves, to live the Gospel fully by being faithful witnesses of the Risen Christ. ... The Church as a community is dedicated to the spreading of this Gospel of hope in a world which has lost many of its landmarks and references."
CON-SM/APOSTLESHIP SEA/MARCHETTO VIS 20070626 (430)
The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) is an ecclesial organization that has more than 110 maritime centers and chaplaincies in almost all the main ports of the world. It is estimated that seafarers in the merchant marine number more than 1.2 million, most of them Catholics from poor countries, while those who work in the fishing industry number 41 million.
The AOS congress is held every five years, the last one having been in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In his opening address to the current congress, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, pointed out that "the milieu in which we as the AOS are called to bear witness ... remains today one of the most difficult, demanding and dangerous."
"In no other age have we seen such prosperity, wealth and technological advances in the maritime industry and yet countless workers of the sea are in extreme need, as so many of them are faced with new forms of slavery in their living and working conditions.
"Our apostolate in the AOS is one of presence and service. Our vocation is to incarnate Christ's love for those who suffer, the sick, the marginalized and the poor. We are also often called to stand alongside seafarers in defense of their rights and in doing so we are exercising the prophetic mission of the Church, because for us at the heart of social justice lies love of God and love of neighbor."
"The choice of theme," the archbishop concluded, "reflects our conviction that, in order to remain faithful to its tradition and identity, the AOS must carry out its role within the historical context in which the people of the sea live and work today. It is in this world that we are called to commit ourselves, to live the Gospel fully by being faithful witnesses of the Risen Christ. ... The Church as a community is dedicated to the spreading of this Gospel of hope in a world which has lost many of its landmarks and references."
CON-SM/APOSTLESHIP SEA/MARCHETTO VIS 20070626 (430)
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