Editorial: Look not on our sins

THE Vatican is calling attention to the plight of merchant seamen and fishermen who may face dismal working conditions and be kept from going ashore when their ships dock in foreign ports, a report from the Associated Press (AP) reads.

Marking last Sunday as the Sea Sunday, Pope Francis prayed for the world's 1.2-million seafarers and their families during the Sunday mass last July 8, 2018.

The Vatican office had issued a message lamenting that more and more employers are not allowing seamen to disembark from their ships when these are at port either because of shop policy or immigration regulations. Moreso, chaplains are also being denied access to many ships now.

We know that Filipinos comprise majority of seafarers all over the world. This situation is thus not foreign to the Filipinos and their families. We can't help but wonder, why does such concern have to come from Vatican?

If only the Catholic Church here is more relevant to the needs of its flock, more responsive to the real cries of its faithful, and not focused on politics. If only the Catholic Church here is more concerned about the greater majority who need clear directions into living their lives as Catholic faithfuls, loving, caring, and concerned for the poor and weak, then their followers will gain strength and be able to dispel the temptations of greed and crime.

At the root of the problem where people are getting killed are families that have failed to nurture love. That is where the Church matters: The strengthening of the weak of body, soul, and faith; the propagation of the language of love. Never the language of hate that we are hearing now, not just from those who are not Church leaders, but worse, among the Church leaders themselves. How sad a state that is to be.

So, we look up to Vatican and Pope Francis and thank him for his concern about our seafarers. We cannot say the same to his representatives here. "Lord Jesus Christ, You said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church, and grant us peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever." It's sad that from what we are seeing from the sidelines, the focus is on the sins and not on the faith of the Church, and so no peace is granted, nor unity in His kingdom.

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