Vatican calls for respect and protection of rights of seafarers

(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People  has called for the respect and protection of the human and labor rights of seafarers.

In a message for Sea Sunday, marked on July 10, Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò and Joseph Kalathiparambil, President and Secretary of the Council expressed gratitude for the far-reaching work of seafarers in many different fields and spheres of society.

The message also highlights the precious contribution of seafarers in the recent humanitarian emergency in the Mediterranean Sea where “crews of merchant vessels have been in the front line to intervene and rescue thousands of people trying to sail to Europe on board of overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, inflatable rafts”.

Please find the full text of the message below:

Message for Sea Sunday 2016
(10th July 2016)

    Seated comfortably on the sofa in our living room, we find it difficult to understand how much our daily life is depending on the maritime industry and the sea. If we look around in the places where we live and work, we realize that most of the furniture and IT equipment we are using have been transported by ships, our clothes were shipped in containers from the other side of the world and the fruits we eat were delivered by refrigerated ships from another country while tankers are transporting oil and petrol for our cars. Without seaborne trade the import and export of goods and finished products would not be possible. 

    Even when we decide to enjoy and relax by going in a cruise we do not think that thousands of seafarers are working hard to make sure that everything will run smoothly and we will have a comfortable vacation. 

    Furthermore in the recent humanitarian emergency in the Mediterranean Sea the crews of merchant vessels have been in the front line to intervene and rescuing thousands of people trying to sail to Europe on board of overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, inflatable rafts.

    Almost 1.200.000 seafarers of every nationality (many of them from developing countries) on board of 50,000 merchant ships are transporting almost 90% of every kind of cargo. The unforgiving forces of the open sea and of the oceans expose ships to significant risk, and the seafarers are “risking their life” more than one way. 

    The physical life of the seafarers is at risk because aside from the hazards of the forces of the nature, piracy and armed robbery, shifting from one area to another and constantly evolving and adapting to new situations, continue to be a major threat to the security of the crew. Their psychological well-being is at risk when after having been at sea for days or weeks they are denied shore leave and prevented to leave the vessel.

    The family life of the seafarers is in danger because their contracts force them to stay away from their families and loved ones for many months and often for several years on a row. Children are growing up without a fatherly figure while all the family’s responsibilities are on the shoulders of the mother.

    The human and working dignity of the seafarers is at risk when they are exploited with long working hours and their wages are delayed for months or in cases of abandonments not paid at all. Criminalization of seafarers is a serious concern especially considering that in recent years a number of previously considered lawful seafaring activities have been criminalized particularly in relation to incidents such as shipwrecks, pollution, etc.
        
    Encouraged by Pope Francis who called the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea to “be the voice of those workers who live far from their loved ones and face dangerous and difficult situations” , as Apostleship of the Sea we stand at the side of seafarers to reiterate that their human and labor rights must be respected and protected. 

    We would like also to call on Governments and competent maritime authorities to strengthening the implementation of the ILO Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006, especially the Regulation 4.4 whose purpose is:  To ensure that seafarers working on board a ship have access to shore-based facilities and services to secure their health and well-being. 

    Finally, on this occasion of the annual celebration of Sea Sunday we would like to remind to all Christian communities and to each individual how important and essential are the seafarer profession and the shipping industry for our daily life. We would like to call on the bishops, especially the ones of maritime Dioceses to establish and support the Maritime Apostolate as  “a visible sign of your affectionate attention to those who cannot receive ordinary pastoral care.”  

    While expressing our gratitude to the seafarers for their work, we entrust them and their families to the maternal protection of Mary, Stella Maris.

(from Vatican Radio)

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Pope Francis gives interview to Argentinian newspaper

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke about Pope emeritus Benedict XVI and his relationship with Argentina’s new President, Mauricio Macri, in an interview with the Argentinian newspaper La Nación released on Sunday.

Speaking about his predecessor, Pope Francis said that although his age has affected his movement, “his mind and his memory are intact, perfect.”

He said Pope Benedict XVI was “revolutionary,” and added his “generosity was unparalleled.”

“His resignation, which exposed all the problems of the Church, had nothing to do with personal matters,” Pope Francis said. “It was an act of governance, his last act of governance.”

Speaking about opponents of his reforms in the Vatican, the Holy Father said they “do their job and I do mine.”

“I want a Church that is open, understanding, which accompanies wounded families,” Pope Francis said.

“They say no to everything. I continues straight on my way, without looking over my shoulder,” – he continued – “I do not cut off heads. I never like to do that. I repeat: I reject conflict.”

Much of the interview considered Argentinian issues, and the Pope denied any problems with the new president.

"I have no problem with President Macri,”Pope Francis said. “He seems to me a good family person, a noble person.”

He admitted he had a dispute with him once when he was mayor of Buenos Aires, but said “one time over a long period is a very low average.”

Pope Francis also said that no one speaks for him in Argentina, emphasizing “the Vatican Press Office is the only spokesman for the Pope.”

(from Vatican Radio)

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Pope Francis at Angelus: being Christian is a mission

Pope Francis prays for victims, families of Dhaka and Baghdad attacks

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the terror attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh that occured in the night between Friday and Saturday, and for the victims of terror attacks in Baghdad that took place late in the day on Saturday.

The Dhaka attack on a popular restaurant in the diplomatic district of the capital claimed at least 20 lives – many of them foreigners – while the attack in Baghdad’s central – and very commercial – Karrada district claimed at least 83 lives, while a second attack on a predominantly Shia neighborhood of the capital around midnight killed five more people.

“I offer my closeness to the families of all the people killed and wounded in the attack that took place [early Saturday morning] in Dhaka, and in that, which took place [Saturday] in Baghdad,” said Pope Francis. “Let us pray together,” the Holy Father continued, “let us pray together for them – for all the dead – and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of all those blinded by hatred.”

Pope Francis was addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Immediately following his remarks, he led everyone present in reciting the Hail Mary.

(from Vatican Radio)

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Pope prays for victims of "senseless violence" in Dhaka

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to victims of an attack by suspected Islamic militants in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.

In a telegram addressed to the ecclesiastical and civil authorities, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis “expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity.”

Here is the full text of the telegram:

“Deeply saddened by the senseless violence perpetrated against innocent victims in Dhaka, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity. In commending the dead to God’s mercy, His Holiness gives the assurance of his prayers for the grieving families and the wounded.”

Islamist militants killed 20 people, most of them foreigners, inside a restaurant in Bangladesh's capital, before security forces stormed the building and ended a 12-hour standoff on Saturday.

Islamic State said it was responsible for one of the most brazen attacks in the South Asian nation's history, but that claim has yet to be confirmed.

(from Vatican Radio)

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Pope Francis: video message to Together for Europe 2016

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a video message to the participants in the gathering of the Together for Europe initiative – an initiative that brings together over 300 Christian Movements and Communities of diverse confessions from every part of the Continent. While preserving their independence, collectively they form a network to pursue shared goals, each bringing a contribution specific to their own charism.

Below, please find the full text of the video message, in English

******************************************

Dear Friends in Together for Europe,

I know that you are gathered in Munich, Bavaria, from many Movements and Groups, for your meeting called “Encounter – Reconciliation – Future”.

You are right. It is time to get together, to face the problems of our day with a true European spirit.  Apart from some visible walls, other invisible walls are being strengthened which tend to divide our continent.  These walls are being built in people’s hearts.  They are walls made of fear and aggression, a failure to understand people of different backgrounds or faith.  They are walls of political and economic selfishness, without respect for the life and dignity of every person.

Europe finds itself in a complex and highly mobile world, which is ever more globalised and therefore ever less Eurocentric.

If we are aware of these momentous issues, then we must have the courage to say: we need change!  Europe is called to reflect and to ask itself whether its immense heritage, so permeated with Christianity, belongs in a museum or is still able to inspire culture and to offer its treasures to the whole of humankind.

You are meeting so as to look together at these challenges facing Europe and to highlight testimonies of life in society which enable networking, so as to welcome and show solidarity towards those who are weak and disadvantaged, to build bridges and overcome conflicts whether they are open or latent.

Europe’s history is an ongoing encounter between Heaven and earth.  Heaven indicates openness to the Transcendent, to God, which has always been characteristic of European people. Earth represents their practical and concrete ability to address situations and problems.

You too, Christian communities and movements which began in Europe, are bearers of many charisms, which are gifts of God to be made available to others.  “Together for Europe” is a unifying power with the clear aim of translating the basic values of Christianity into concrete responses to the challenges of a continent in crisis.

Your lifestyle is based on mutual love, lived out with Gospel radicalness.  A culture of reciprocity means talking things over, esteeming one another, welcoming one another, helping one another.  It means appreciating the diversity of charisms so as to move together towards unity and enrich it.  The tangible and clear presence of Christ among you is the witness which leads to faith.

Every authentic unity draws on the wealth of diversity which forms it – like a family which grows in unity in so far as its members can fully and fearlessly be themselves.  If Europe as a whole wants to be a family of peoples, it should put the human person back at the centre; it should be an open and welcoming continent, and continue to establish ways of working together that are not only economic but also social and cultural.

God always brings newness.  You have experienced this so often in your lives! Are we open to surprises today too? You, who have answered the Lord’s call courageously, are called to show his newness in your lives and bring to life the fruits of the Gospel, fruits that have grown from Christian roots, which for the last 2,000 years have nourished Europe.  And you will bear even greater fruit!  Maintain the freshness of your charisms; continue to be “Together” and extend it further! Make your homes, communities and cities into workshops of communion, friendship and fraternity, which can bring people together and be open to the whole world.

Together for Europe? Today this is more than ever necessary.  In a Europe made up of many nations, you bear witness to the fact that we are children of one Father and brothers and sisters to one another.  You are a precious seed of hope, so that Europe can rediscover its vocation to contribute to the unity of all.

(from Vatican Radio)

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Pope Francis meets Rome's first female mayor, Virginia Raggi