Bishop commends AoS role challenging exploitation at sea

Bishop Tom Burns

Bishop Tom Burns of seafarers’ charity, the Apostleship of the Sea has underlined the role the charity has of speaking out for seafarers who have been ill treated. On the eve of the feast of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bishop Burns hailed the important work of the charity at a Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Wednesday, 25 October.

Bishop Burns noted that abuse, when it occurs in the shipping industry has its roots in a spiritual crisis, "It’s not that God has moved away from us. Quite the contrary: it's more likely that some people, including a number in the maritime world, have moved away from God’. He noted that there are some in the maritime industry who ‘exploit the poor and the humble, where God-fearing people are unable to speak out for fear of losing their jobs, where abuse goes unreported, where wages go unpaid".

In this environment Bishop Burns paid tribute to the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the sea who ‘have to walk a delicate line between championing the cause of the underdog, as well as being the voice of the voiceless, and yet you must also try to avoid making matters worse by understanding the difference between intervening and interfering."

Despite the difficulties and challenges facing the work of the charity, Bishop Burns quoted the Lutheran Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who on the eve of his execution by the Nazis declared ‘The Victory is certain!’. He continued that "Those who work with seafarers see that victory in the eyes and smiles of every seafarer they meet. They re-assure him that whenever he leaves port, Christ leaves with him, in his heart."

For more information see: www.apostelshipofthhesea.org.uk