Pope to Italian fishermen and health workers: ‘Work as a team’

By Lisa Zengarini

Some 5,200 representatives of Italian fishermen and participants in an international conference in Rome on public health systems in Europe gathered Saturday in the Paul VI Hall for an audience with Pope Francis.

In the first part of his speech, the Pope addressed the fishermen accompanied by bishops and leaders of the Apostleship of the Sea in Italy and reflected on the “value” of their profession and on the mission that this value implied.

He began by recalling how far back the origins of their profession go, which is also linked to the beginnings of the Church entrusted by Jesus to a fisherman, Peter.

Perseverance in hard work and teamwork

He recalled that in the Gospel texts, those who work at sea embody “important attitudes”, including “perseverance in hard work” and coping with failures. This attitude, the Pope observed, is also required of today’s fishermen, who are faced with “new urgent problems.” » such as rising costs, stifling bureaucracy and unfair competition from multinational companies.

Faced with these difficulties, the Pope highlighted the sense of community that unites those who work at sea, where “the success of each person’s work depends on the contribution of each person. “Fishing therefore becomes a “school of life to the extent that Jesus uses it as a symbol to describe the vocation of the Apostles” to be “fishers of men”.

Caring for those who provide care

The Pope continued by emphasizing that the ability to work as a team in the face of challenges is also a quality of health workers. Addressing participants at the conference on the sustainability of public health systems in Europe, held this week at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, he drew attention to two other aspects of their work.

He first called on healthcare workers not to neglect themselves and to “instead take care of each other”. “The fatigue from grueling shifts, the concerns you carry in your heart, and the pain you feel in your patients demand comfort and healing,” he said.

Compassion for the marginalized

The second aspect highlighted by the Pope is compassion for the “most deprived”: “No one should be marginalized to the point of no longer being able to receive care,” he stressed, emphasizing that health systems have developed a particular sensitivity “towards those left behind”. “.

The Pope therefore invited health professionals to take inspiration from saints like Saint John of God, Saint Giuseppe Moscati and Saint Teresa of Calcutta, ensuring that no one suffers alone. “This is where proximity comes in,” he said.

Family relationships

Pope Francis finally highlighted the crucial role played by families in the fishing and health professions. Families, he observed, provide crucial support, often “in difficult times.” He therefore urged participants to protect their family relationships, which he said “are a ‘medicine’ for both the healthy and the sick.”