Vatican City, 1 July 2015 (VIS) – The
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
Peoples today published its message for Sea Sunday (12 July), signed
by Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio and Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil,
respectively president and secretary of the dicastery. The following
is the full text of the message:
“To transport goods and products
around the world, the global economy deeply relies on the maritime
industry supported by a workforce of around 1.2 million seafarers,
who at sea and in the oceans frequently facing the strong and
powerful forces of nature, manage ships of all kinds and dimensions.
As ports are built far away from the
cities, and because of the fast turnaround in loading and unloading
cargo, the crews sailing the ships are like 'invisible' people. As
individuals we do not acknowledge the importance and the benefits
that the maritime profession brings to our life and we become aware
of their work and sacrifices only when disasters strike.
In spite of the technological
development that makes life on board more comfortable and makes it
easier to communicate with loved ones, seafarers are forced to spend
long months in a restricted space, away from their families.
Restrictive and unjust regulations often limit shore leave when in
port and the continuous threat of piracy in many sea routes adds
stress while sailing. We are still confident that the ratification
and coming into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 by a
growing number of countries, accompanied by effective inspections by
flag States will result in a tangible improvement of the labour and
working conditions on board all ships.
In the present day, with war, violence
and political instability in several countries, a new phenomenon has
been affecting the shipping industry. Since last year, alongside the
coast guards and the naval forces of Italy, Malta and European Union,
the merchant vessels transiting in the Mediterranean Sea have been
actively involved in the by-now daily task of rescuing thousands and
thousands of migrants trying to reach the coasts of Italy in all
kinds of overcrowded and substandard crafts.
Since time immemorial seafarers have
fulfilled the obligation to rescue people in distress at sea under
any conditions. However, as it has been stressed by other maritime
organisations, for the merchant vessels rescuing migrants at sea
remains a health, safety and security risk for seafarers. Commercial
ships are designed to transport goods (containers, oil, gas, etc.)
and all the facilities are custom-made for the limited number of crew
members on board. For these reasons merchant vessels are not equipped
to provide assistance to a large number of migrants.
Seafarers are professionally qualified
in their work and trained to handle a number of emergency situations
but rescuing hundreds of often frantic men, women and children is
something that no training course in maritime school has prepared
them for. Furthermore, the physical effort in seeking to rescue as
many persons as possible, and witnessing numerous lifeless bodies in
the sea, render the experience traumatic and leave the crews
exhausted and psychologically distressed, in need of specific
psychological and spiritual support.
On Sea Sunday as the Catholic Church we
would like to express our appreciation for seafarers in general for
their fundamental contribution to the international trade. This year
in particular, we would like to recognise the great humanitarian
effort made by the crews of merchant vessels that without hesitation,
sometimes risking their own life, have engaged in many rescue
operations saving thousands of migrants lives.
Our gratitude goes also to all the
chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea for their
daily commitment in serving the people of the sea; their presence in
the docks is the sign of the Church in their midst and shows the
compassionate and merciful face of Christ.
In conclusion, while we appeal to the
governments in Europe, the countries of origin of migration flows,
and international organisations to cooperate in searching for a
durable and definitive political solution to instability in those
countries, we would also like to call for more resources to be
committed not only for search and rescue missions but also to prevent
the trafficking and exploitation of persons escaping from conditions
of conflict and poverty”.
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