With a new chirograph, Pope Leo decrees that the Apostleship of the Sea will be responsible for promoting the pastoral care of the “people of the sea”.
By Vatican News
With a chirograph published today, Thursday, November 13, Pope Leo XIV has formally established the Apostleship of the Sea as the central and coordinating body of the Work of the Apostleship of the Sea. At the same time, the Pope has approved its Statutes.
Ministering to the “People of the Sea”
For many years, the Church has accompanied the “people of the sea” — seafarers, maritime workers, their families, and all those whose lives are closely tied to navigation and fishing on the seas, rivers, and lakes.
The chirograph recalls “the pastoral and legislative interventions of the Apostolic See aimed at providing for the spiritual needs of the faithful who, due to human mobility, cannot benefit from ordinary pastoral care.” This pastoral concern dates back to Iam pridem, the Pius X’s 1914 motu proprio.
All of these initiatives testify to the Church’s attentive care for the unique spiritual needs of those who live and work in the maritime world. The document also references the 1977 decree Apostolatus Maris from the then Pontifical Commission for the Spiritual Care of Migrants and Itinerants, which revised norms and faculties in light of the Second Vatican Council.
Later came St. John Paul II’s motu proprio Stella Maris (January 31, 1997), which updated previous regulations, and Pope Francis’ directive assigning responsibility for the Work of the Apostleship of the Sea to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development — now responsible for pastoral care of migrants and itinerant peoples.
The chirograph explains that the creation of this central and coordinating body stems from “the fervent desire that the Church’s spiritual care in the pastoral ministry of the sea may continue with enthusiasm and generosity.”
Consultations since 2022
The new body is the result of a long process of consultation that began in October 2022, involving national directors and episcopal promoters of the Work of the Apostleship of the Sea from across the continents. These discussions continued into 2025 with more targeted consultations on the objectives and structure of the Apostleship of the Sea.
The consultations were led and coordinated by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which, in accordance with Article 166 §1 of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, exercises both the leadership of the entire Work of the Apostleship of the Sea and oversight of its central coordinating body.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
