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 on 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 the mission that this value entails.

He started by recalling how far back in time the origins of their profession extend, which is also connected to the beginnings of the Church entrusted by Jesus to a fisherman, Peter.

Perseverance in hard work and teamwork

He remembered that in the Gospel texts those who work at sea embody "important attitudes”, including "perseverance in hard work" and dealing with failures. This attitude, the Pope observed, is also required of today’s fishermen, who face "new pressing problems” like rising costs, stifling bureaucracy, and unfair competition from multinational companies.

In the face of 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 everyone. "Fishing, therefore, becomes a "school of life to the extent that Jesus uses it as a symbol to describe the Apostles’ vocation” to be “fishers of men."

Taking care of those providing care

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

He first of called for healthcare workers not to neglect themselves and “instead, look after one another.” "The fatigue of exhausting shifts, the concerns you carry in your hearts, and the pain you gather from your patients demand comfort and healing," he said.

Compassion for the marginalized

The second aspect the Pope highlighted was compassion for the “least fortunate”: “No one should be marginalized to the point of being unable to receive care,”, he remarked, noting that the healthcare systems have developed a special sensitivity "towards the discarded."

The Pope therefore invited healthcare workers to draw inspiration from saints like St. John of God, St. Giuseppe Moscati, and St. Teresa of Calcutta  ensuring no one suffers alone. “Here is where proximity comes in,” he said.

Family relationships

Pope Francis finally underscored the crucial role played by families in both fishing and healthcare professions. Families, he observed, provide crucial support, often "amid hardship.” He therefore urged the attendees to protect their family relationships, which he said “are a 'medicine' for both the healthy and the sick.”