Pope Leo XIV establishes Apostleship of the Sea as a key body to support seafarers, aligning with Cardinal Czerny’s call for fishermen’s rights.
Newsroom (13/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a significant move to strengthen the Catholic Church’s outreach to maritime workers, Pope Leo XIV issued a chirograph on Thursday, formally establishing the Apostleship of the Sea as the central coordinating body within the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The decree grants canonical juridical personality to Stella Maris, the global network of port chaplaincies dedicated to supporting seafarers, fishermen, and their families.
The chirograph, accompanied by the statutes of the Apostleship of the Sea, revises the organization’s structure within the Roman Curia, marking a milestone in the Church’s century-long commitment to maritime pastoral care. Originating in the early 20th century, the Apostleship of the Sea has provided spiritual and practical assistance to those navigating the often grueling realities of life at sea. Pope Leo XIV’s action underscores the Church’s resolve to sustain this mission with “enthusiasm and generosity” in an era when seafarers’ contributions to global supply chains are vital yet frequently overlooked.
The timing of the chirograph aligns with a poignant message from Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, released ahead of World Fisheries Day on November 21. Established by the United Nations in 1998, the day highlights the challenges facing fishing communities worldwide. In his message, Cardinal Czerny draws a spiritual parallel between fishermen casting their nets and the virtue of hope, a central theme of the ongoing Jubilee year. However, he also confronts the harsh realities afflicting the sector.
“Many fishermen face storms far beyond the sea: low income, job insecurity, poor working conditions, and separation from their families,” Czerny writes. He emphasizes that “behind every catch there is a life, a family, and a calling to integral development.” The cardinal highlights the ecological and social toll of industrialized fishing, which threatens artisanal fleets by depleting fish stocks and polluting coastal ecosystems. Large industrial vessels, he notes, often subject crews—many of whom are migrants—to cramped living conditions, excessive working hours, and discriminatory treatment.
Czerny’s message calls for systemic change, urging institutions to amplify fishermen’s voices in policymaking. “Policies and laws that affect them should not be discussed only by those who live and think from the comfort of a high level of development,” he asserts. The Apostleship of the Sea, he explains, plays a critical role in this advocacy. Its chaplains and volunteers in coastal parishes and ports offer companionship and support to those enduring long absences, hazardous conditions, and economic hardship, while championing their dignity.
The chirograph and Cardinal Czerny’s message together signal a renewed commitment to maritime workers at a time when their labor sustains global economies but often at great personal cost. The Apostleship of the Sea, now fortified by its elevated status, aims to expand its reach through Stella Maris chaplaincies, which operate in ports worldwide. These hubs provide spiritual guidance, practical aid, and a voice for seafarers and fishermen facing exploitation or neglect.
In closing, Cardinal Czerny entrusts maritime workers to the intercession of Mary, Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), invoking her protection for those navigating perilous waters. “May she guide and protect those who sail the seas and, with her maternal intercession, sustain all in hope, justice, and commitment to caring for the seas,” he writes.
Pope Leo XIV’s chirograph not only cements the Apostleship of the Sea’s role within the Church but also amplifies its mission to uphold the dignity of those who toil on the world’s oceans, ensuring their struggles are neither forgotten nor ignored.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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