Pope Francis has released a video to accompany his August prayer intention, which is for people “who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen, and their families”.
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, formerly known as the Apostleship of Prayer, organizes and disseminates “The Pope Video”. The network is a pontifical initiative, whose mission is to pray and encounter the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church that concern the Holy Father, expressed in his monthly intentions.
“The life of sailors or fishermen and their families is very difficult,” Pope Francis notes in the video message in his native Spanish language. “Sometimes they are victims of forced labor or are left behind in distant ports.
“The competition of industrial fishing and the problem of pollution make their work even more complicated… without the people of the sea, many parts of the world would starve.
“Let us pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen, and their families,” the Pope urges.»
On the occasion of Sunday of the Sea, which occurred on July 12, 2020, the Dicastery for the Integral Human Development Service sent chaplains, volunteers, and supporters of the Apostleship of the Sea a message of gratitude, recalling the difficult work that the seafarers around the world in this time of medical emergency due to COVID-19.
Here is the message released by the Dicastery’s Prefect, Cardinal Peter A. Turkson.
