Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 106, April 2008

Vatican Radio InterviewS

Archbishop AGOSTINO Marchetto

on the occasion of THE Annual Meeting

OF THE AOS Regional Coordinators*

This week the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People is organizing the annual meeting of Regional Coordinators of the Apostleship of the Sea who represent the different regions of the maritime world. It will be chaired by Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President, and Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Dicastery.  Immediately afterwards, the meeting will take place of the International Fishing Committee of the Apostleship of the Sea.

We met with Archbishop Marchetto and asked him the following questions.

Q. Why are the Regional Coordinators of the Apostleship of the Sea meeting at the Pontifical Council from January 31^st to February 2^nd?

A. The Apostleship of the Sea is a Catholic “Work”, as the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus (1988) defined it, present in almost all the maritime countries. With its eight Regional Coordinators (North America, Latin America, Europe, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia and South Asia), the AM is involved in the pastoral care of fishers, merchant marines, and crews and passengers on board cruise ships and yachts (inshore navigation).  So it is important to meet at least once a year to assess the pastoral situation, listen to one another and share, and in the end draw up the program of pastoral activities. From this perspective, it is obvious that each continent, each ocean, has its specific character, which we have to recognize and respect, while at the same time preserving the overall unity.

Q. What is the importance of this meeting?

A. This year the meeting takes on special importance because it comes six months after the XXII World Congress held in Gdynia (Poland) in June 2007, on the theme: In Solidarity with the People of the Sea, Witnesses to Hope Through the Word, the Liturgy and Diakonia. That Congress, which was generally considered a great success, drew up conclusions and recommendations that must be put into practice now, concerning the future development of the apostleship in a constantly evolving maritime world whose economy is still weak.

For some time, in fact, we have seen that maritime transport, led by the extraordinary economic growth in Asia, with its very favorable prices, is enjoying a certain prosperity, but at the same time we see some clouds on the horizon in the constantly rising price of oil and signs of economic recession in the Western world. But even in these times of prosperity, work at sea continues to be very hard work, and every day we witness tragedies both on land and at sea. Almost every day we hear about shipwrecks, disappearances at sea, and new “boat people”, emigrants who do not hesitate to brave the oceans in order to escape from hunger and unemployment or in the hope of a better life in the developed countries.

So it is in this context that the chaplains and many committed laypersons are called now to promote solidarity and human dignity with the people of the sea, and to preach and give witness to the Gospel, while paying attention to human promotion as well.

Q. On February 2^nd the International Fishing Committee of the Apostleship of the Sea will meet.  What can you tell us about this?

A. The world of fishing is in crisis. World fish stock is at its lowest.  For the first time in world history it is feared that fish will disappear from the seas. In fact, 75% of the known marine resources are overexploited despite the cry of alarm and the system of quotas that have been imposed, especially in the developed countries. 

Since more than a billion people depend on fishing for their food needs, and an estimated 41 million people work directly in this activity, the exhaustion of fish resources represents a very great danger for all these people. Entire communities of fishers are threatened with extinction, and so a whole way of life is in the process of disappearing.

One expert from FAO and another from ILO will be with us to help us deepen our reflection and also to set some priorities in our pastoral action that take the changing reality into consideration.

Q. In this context, then, what will be the Apostleship of the SeaÂ’s contribution?

The workers of the sea tend to work and act individually. This is why their voice is rarely heard on the national or international level.  It is also AMÂ’s duty to be the voice of the voiceless by helping them to become aware of the situations they are living and the deadlines they will have to face. It is also a duty to always be close and have solidarity with all the living forces working in this sector for the good and dignity of man.

Naturally, there are some signs of hope too. As a matter of fact, regarding both maritime transport and fishing, the ILO adopted some important Conventions in 2006 and 2007 that represent a great opportunity for the maritime world. Now the Apostleship of the Sea needs to carry out a task of advocacy around the world so that these Conventions will be ratified and have force of law as soon as possible.