It began as an association of CatholicAirport Chaplains in 1967. In their second meeting held in Dublin in the following year (1968) the Catholic Chaplains decided to include also the Protestant chaplains in their annual meetings. Thus the first inter-denominational meeting of civil aviation chaplains took place in New York in 1969, and since then all the annual conferences were held on an ecumenical basis. But it was only in 1984 during their annual conference held in Melbourne (Australia) the chaplains adopted the present name. Before that the association of chaplains was known as “Civil Aviation Chaplains International” (CACI), a name chosen during the Vancouver (Canada) conference in 1974.
The first draft of a constitution of the association was drawn up at the 1984 conference in Melbourne. The final text of the constitution was voted at the 1986 Conference in London. The aim of the association is condensed in its Constitution in article No. 2 under the title “purpose”: “The purpose of the Association, which is a non-profit organisation, is the promotion of the spiritual well-being of those engaged in and using civil aviation”. Today the association cannot be considered anymore an ecumenical organism, but an inter-religious association, since there are Moslems and Jews among its members. But practically it continues still as an ecumenical association. The Pontifical Council for the pastoral care of Migrants and Itinerant People has an Observer status within the association, together with the World Council of Churches (WCC). It is also Member of the Executive Board of the IACAC in the quality of Observer, which meets four times a year in different countries. The new President of the association is Rev. Can. Mike Vincer, Anglican Chaplain at Manchester International Airport. At present there are 161 active members, 15 retired chaplains and 3 honorary members in the association.
The 36th Annual Conference of the International Association of Civil Aviation Chaplain (IACAC) was held in Melbourne (Australia) from 22 to 26 September 2003. The conference was hosted by Rev. Peter Holloway, the Anglican Airport Chaplain at Melbourne. In fact, there is no more airport chaplaincy in Melbourne or in any other airport in Australia, since the time all airports were privatized in Australia and the “industrial mission” was suppressed in the country. But Rev. Holloway and Fr. Michael Kalka (Catholic) continue to take care of the pastoral needs of the airport workers, and they are called to the airport whenever their presence is needed. One of the main purposes of organizing the conference in Melbourne was “to support those re-establishing a chaplaincy at Melbourne Airport”.
The venue of the conference was the Airport Motel and Convention Center at Attwood, situated near the airport. There was a Catholic Church near the conference center where the Catholic priests celebrated daily Mass at 7 a.m., with the participation of many of the parishioners. On the first day Msgr. Anthony Chirayath presided over the Concelebrated Mass and preached the homily. Mons. Chirayath was also the first speaker during the inaugural dinner. The Protestant participants did not have separate worship during the conference. There was common prayer daily at the start of the conference, which included singing the Psalms, reading of the Sacred Scripture and a concluding prayer.
The theme of the conference was “Wings of Mercy in a Multicultural Society”, meaning that the airport ministry is a mission of mercy in a multicultural society, which is the airport today. There were three presentations during the conference: 1. Living and ministering in a multicultural society (speaker: Dr. Irene Donohoue Clyne, Cross Cultural Coordinator of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne), 2. The umbrella of safety – a Parson’s dream (speaker: Max Griffiths, former Director of Australian Inland Mission), 3. Workshops on communication conducted by St. Luke’s Innovative Resources.
In the first presentation, Dr. Donohoue spoke about the situation of immigrants in Melbourne. Melbourne is a multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious city of 3.5 million people, of whom 43,5% are immigrants. There is a tremendous growth in the Chinese community. Melbourne is also one of the largest Greek-speaking cities in the world. There are also more Maltese in Melbourne than in Malta itself. The Christian population is diminishing except the one of the Catholic Church, which is getting more Catholic immigrants from Vietnam. There is also a big growth among the Buddhists. The problem is how to communicate in the Church. Dr. Donohoue suggested having multilingual information bulletins, multilingual prayer books, and multilingual welcome boards. Max Griffiths spoke about his experiences while working as a missionary in the hinterlands of Australia going to serve in the most isolated areas. The third presentation was about communicating with others.
Rev. Can. Mike Vincer, the newly elected President, in his opening speech publicly expressed appreciation and thanked for the support of the Pontifical Council to promote the pastoral care of civil aviation in the world. Rev. Michael Banfield of London-Luton Airport proposed that the IACAC should have a strategy: two sub-commissions will be working on it and will present their conclusions at the next conference. Rev. Banfield announced that he has completed writing the first draft of a booklet “An Introduction to Airport Chaplaincy”.
There were 64 participants, of whom 24 were Catholics. There was also the Imam of Nice (France) at the conference. The presence of Africa was very much evident this time. Many were new to IACAC. Though the participants came from different parts of the world and from various churches and ecclesial communities and religious background, there was great fellowship and rekindling of friendships during the Melbourne Conference.
The next conference (37th) will be held in Seattle (USA) from 6th to 10th September 2004. The other conferences will be in Manchester (UK) from 19th to 23rd September 2005 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the chaplaincy, in Cape Town or Nairobi in 2006, in Dallas Fort worth (USA) in 2007, in Zurich in 2008.
I am happy and grateful for your invitation, which has given me the opportunity to attend this National Conference. I bring to you all the very cordial greetings of the Pastoral Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, in the first place those of our new President, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, who has succeeded to Cardinal Hamao as the head of our dicastery, while remaining also President ofthe Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
This is a special occasion, as I am aware that all the chaplains of AOS–Great Britain, from both England and Wales and the newly appointed ones from AOS–Scotland, are participating in the same National Conference to plan together and collaborate ever more closely in the same mission to seafarers and other categories of maritime people. As it is also the first time that I have been able to be present at your annual conference, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for all that has been accomplished in the recent years by AOS (England and Wales) thanks to the initiatives taken under the guidance of the Bishop Promoters, the Board of Trustees and of the National Director and his devoted team. You have relaunched and adapted your National Organisation to the needs of the People of the Sea and to the new challenges facing the Church in the maritime world. I realize that all this would not have been possible without this wonderful team of devoted chaplains, lay pastoral agents and volunteers who have made AOS-Great Britain what it is today.
I would like to say a special word of congratulations and thanks to Captain Anthony Brindle, the Chair of Trustees, for his dedication and commitment in the service of the Church and of the maritime community.With the encouragements and together with the late Bishop Victor Guazelli, by taking innovative initiatives that have made AOS one of the best known seafarers’ mission in the UK, he has been a source of inspiration and a reference to many in this apostolate. Thank you very much Captain Brindle!
As you know, the theme of our next World Congress will be In Solidarity with the People of the Sea, as Witnesses of Hope through proclamation of the Word, Liturgy and Diakonia, which means ‘service’.We have opted for a pastoral theme as we want this Congress to be an opportunity for AOS to reflect on and take stock on what constitutes its content and spirituality. As an organization, you have already started this reflection when you have sought to better focus your pastoral outreach and support to the People of the Sea, by defining the specificity of AOS Mission in Great Britain around the four themes of Mission, Solidarity, Welfare and Hospitality.
One of the present Conference’s aims is to prepare for the AOS World Congress next year in Gdynia, Poland, and for my part I have been asked to contribute to your preparation by reflecting with you on how the AOS can Witness to Hope.
The AOS is called to witness in a profession that remains today one of the most difficult, demanding and dangerous. You all know through your ministry, that seafarers and fishers face various difficulties and dangers, and that they suffer the negative effects of globalization. In addition to the inherent dangers of seafaring, most of them barely have any social security or protection and they have to face courageously day after day loneliness and exploitation; they are often marginalized and subjected to administrative harassment and sometimes to savage abandonment. We have been witnessing recently the “growing criminalization” of seafarers. There are new dangers like the resurgence of piracy which we thought to be something of the past. Seafarers have also to keep up with new pressures and technologies; they know that for them it is a question of professional survival, on which depends also the one of their family. Even more, very often they cannot raise their voice in protest, as this would mean immediate sanctions or, worse, the end of employment and possibly blacklisting.
These are only a few traits of the difficulties confronting life at sea. To paraphrase the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World of the Second Vatican Council (Gaudium et Spes), in no other age have we seen such prosperity, wealth and technological advances in the maritime industry and yet countless workers of the sea are in extreme need, as so many of them are faced with new forms of slavery in their living and working conditions (cf. GS No. 4).
This is the milieu in which we are called, as members of the Church, to exercise the Mission, to be evangelizers. Gaudium et Spes expresses without any ambiguity the solidarity of the Church with the whole human family and the indefectible link between the World and the Church. Therefore as “Church we have the responsibility of reading the signs of time and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel… we should be able to answer the ever recurring questions which men ask about the meaning of this present life and of the life to come. ….We must be able to understand the aspirations, the yearnings and the often dramatic features of the world in which we live “ (GS No. 4)
To-day the link and the solidarity of the Catholic Church with the family of the sea is especially manifested by the Apostleship of the Sea, whose mission is to accompany, as members of the Church, the seafarers, fishers and their families and to care for their pastoral and spiritual needs, as well as for those of other categories of People of the Sea.
The Second Vatican Council goes further, insisting that the forms of apostolate should be adapted to the needs of the time and that special concerns must be shown “for those among the faithful who, on account of their way of life, cannot sufficiently make use of the common and ordinary pastoral care of parish priests or are quite cut off from it. Among this group are the majority of migrants, exiles and refugees, seafarers, air-travelers, gypsies, and others of this kind… Episcopal Conferences, especially national ones, should pay special attention to the very pressing problems concerning the above-mentioned groups. Through voluntary agreement and united efforts, they should look to and promote their spiritual care by means of suitable methods and institutions. They should also bear in mind the special rules either already laid down or to be laid down by the Apostolic See which can be wisely adapted to the circumstances of time, place, and persons.” (Christus Dominus No. 18)
Regarding the specific mission of the Maritime Apostolate (AOS), the Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio Stella Maris specifies that the “Work of the Maritime Apostolate is the organization concerned with the specific pastoral care of the people of the sea; it seeks to support the work of the faithful who are called to witness to their Christian life in this sphere” (Art I).
This support of course can take many forms and it is not restricted to any one of them. When we talk of support and pastoral care, we are talking of a whole range of activities, from material help and advocacy to more spiritual or religious ones such as sacramental ministry and Christian formation and counseling. If we were to find a sentence, which would capture an important aspect of the engagement of the AOS in the maritime world, nowadays we could say that its mission is to revive hope among the People of the Sea, Christian hope, of course, and because of this we can understand the reason of the choice of the theme of the next World Congress.
Every person is in search of happiness and the fulfilment of his life. Seafarers are not different; they have a great yearning for happiness and for a brighter future for themselves and their family and they are ready to put up with a lot and to make many sacrifices in order to achieve that goal.
On the other hand, one of the main factors that causes hopelessness and despondency in the world, today, is the sentiment that humanity is dominated by evil and injustice, which are often consequences of the negation or denial of human dignity. Evil can manifest itself under many different forms and nowadays it is also found in the work place whenever there is exploitation, harassment, violence and injustice. Seafarers, fishers and their families too, are confronted with the problem of evil as they face great difficulties, as we have seen earlier, while carrying out their profession amid great sacrifices, sufferings and insecurity. Very often they are lost and they feel powerless, as they do not know where to look for direction, having lost hope of a better life and future. And we know that it is hope that makes one live and that no one can envisage life without hope: “Blessed be the one who has not lost hope” says the Holy Scripture (Sirach 14: 2).
To live meaningfully, a person must have some kind of hope, even if it is only a small seed in his heart and it is a great gift if we can give back to someone the hope that he has lost . In any case for the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Hope is the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration for happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men's activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.”(Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 1818)
To the early Christians confronted with the society of the gentiles of his time, the Apostle Peter gives this advice:“Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear”(1 Pt 3:15-17).
Confronted today by a changing maritime world, our specific mission as AOS is to help and serve the People of the Sea, not by patronising them or by acting as masters or teachers but by being witnesses and being ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about our hope, by being “witnesses of hope”. Carrying out this mandate faithfully demands generosity, patience, courage and humility.It is true that Christians are not superior to others and that they too are confronted with the same difficulties and uncertainties. But they are Christians … keeping in mind the words of St Paul who reminded the Corinthians that like all people, “we often suffer, but we are not crushed. Even if we don’t know what to do, we never give up…” Because “we [Christians] are like clay jars in which a treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. In times of trouble God is with us” (2 Cor 4:7).
These thoughts are further developed by the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, in this year’s Lenten Message, in the following way: “Even in the ‘valley of darkness’ of which the Psalmist speaks (Ps 23:4), while the tempter prompts us to despair or to place a vain hope in the work of our own hands, God is there to guard us and sustain us. Yes, even today the Lord hears the cry of the multitudes longing for joy, peace, and love. As in every age, they feel abandoned. Yet, even in the desolation of misery, loneliness, violence and hunger that indiscriminately afflict children, adults, and the elderly, God does not allow darkness to prevail”.
For us Christians, “Jesus Christ” is our “Hope”. This supposes a deep conviction that one will find the fullness of humanity and happiness only in Christ, true God and true man.Our Hope is rooted in the Paschal mystery, in the Risen Christ, who through his passion and resurrection has triumphed over evil and death. The risen Lord is the foundation stone of our hope; his resurrection reopens our hearts to the spirit of hope. The testimony that the world expects from us is that because Jesus has triumphed over evil, sins, hate, injustice, violence and death, these are not fatalities any more and that we too, following in his footsteps, can ultimately overcome them even if we must first go through times of trial and sufferings.
To be “witnesses of Hope”, means in practical terms for us, to testify by our whole life that evil, injustice and lack of meaning in our life will not prevail and that goodness and righteousness will have the final word and will triumph. It is to believe that God is for us and with us and never against us. St Paul is adamant that Christ lives in us and that we shall have a part in Christ’s glory: “God has raised Jesus to life! God’s spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life…” (Rom 8:11).
It is our mission to light or rekindle this hope in the heart of our brothers and sisters, to dispel the darkness of despair especially when times are most difficult for them.
To be “witnesses of hope”, we must, ourselves, be first and foremost “men and women of Hope”, by continually nurturing and developing the virtue of hope, especially by establishing a personal relationship with Jesus, through:
-prayer, with particular consideration for the “Our Father”, which is the summary of everything that Christian hope leads us to desire;
-constant witnessing and living continuously in a personal attitude of hope, letting us be guided by it all through our life;
-Bible study, such as lectio divina and other formation: “the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope”(Romans 15:4);
-participation in liturgical celebrations, where hope is everywhere; in each Eucharist we reaffirm our hope as we proclaim that “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ”. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, too, leads us to hope in God’s mercy (CCC 1490).
We must proclaim what we have experienced and witnessed ourselves. “ We are notheralds of an idea, but witnesses of a person.” (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, March 22, 2006). Because of this you understand that “through proclamation …” is of course part of the theme chosen for Gdynia next year.
Hope is a virtue that is meant to be shared with others. If I am convinced that the Good News of Jesus Christ leads surely to salvation and happiness and that it is the great source of hope for the whole of humanity, then I want to share what sustains me and gives meaning to my life with all my brothers and sisters, so that they too are part of it. This however must be done always in an altruistic, humble and disinterested way: “ Give a kind and respectful answer”, writes St Peter, as we mentioned before.
We do this by giving personal and public witness to ensure the presence of the Church in the public arena so as to bridge the separation between the hard realities of daily life and the Good News of Jesus, remembering also these words of Pope Paul VI" Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." (Evangelii Nuntiandi No. 41).
Nobody owns this Mission. It is God’s Mission, which is not restricted in time or space or to an elite. In this Mission, I am never alone, but a member of the mystical Body, the Church. We are all called together as one family (bishops, priests, sisters, laypeople), whether we are ordained or mandated, each at his own level, to be the “visible signs of Christ’s invisible presence in the world”. In Cologne, last Aug. 21, Benedict XVI proclaimed: “It is important to maintain communion with the Pope and the Bishops. They are the ones who guarantee that singular paths are not being sought, but that we are living in turn in that great family of God that the Lord has founded with the Twelve Apostles”.
This mission is assured also by our presence in professional areas (such as port welfare committees, policy and law-making agencies, unions, etc.). Our presence, there, is a constant reminder and witness of this hope that inhabits the Christian faithful, namely that man and woman are created in God’s image, that they are as persons, at the centre of creation and that this consideration must be the priority in any decision, be it economic, political or connected with security and discipline. In addition, we are called to work ecumenically, engage in inter-religious dialogue and cooperate with every men and women of good will convinced - as we are - that Jesus “has already preceded us” in our Mission field: “He is going before you to Galilee” (Mt 28, 7).
At the general audience on March 22, in an address before many people gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict XVI concluded his speech by saying that our mission is “to gather the nations in the unity of [the Lord’s] love… This is our hope and this is also our commandment to contribute to that universality, to this true unity in the richness of cultures, in communion with our true Lord Jesus Christ".
AOS, to be faithful to this mission of evangelisation today, must never relinquish its solidarity with the People of the Sea and its commitment especially to the poorest and marginalized as they confront and respond to the many challenges of their lives. As a Church organisation we have a specific line of approach, and I believe that we are well within this specificity by being indefatigable witnesses of hope, as we endeavour to transform the maritime world and to “give to globalisation a human face”.
Our vision to create in the maritime world a single human family, where everyone’s dignity is respected and where everyone can envisage a good future for himself and his kin, may seem a utopia and an unattainable dream today, but let us not forget that Abraham became the father of a multitude of nations because, when all seemed hopeless, “ he still had faith in God” (Rom 4:18), he trusted in God and never lost hope.
As I conclude, I invoke on us all the maternal intercession of Most Holy Mary, the “Stella Maris”, in whose hands we place our assembly.