Catholic Church drives ship in the Mediterranean to sow peace and hope

In response to Pope Francis’s call to convert the Mediterranean into a place of encounter, peace and coexistence in diversity, today the project has been presented in the Vatican “Bella Esperanza”, An initiative that will sail from Barcelona (Spain) on March 1.

Two hundred young people from the five banks of the Mediterranean, from different countries, creeds and languages, will cross the Mediterranean Sea from March 1 for eight months, ending their journey in the French city of Marseille.

The journey will be carried out in groups of approximately 25 young people, with a duration of eight months and about thirty scales in different ports. Each month will be dedicated to a specific theme, addressing issues such as intercultural dialogue, the construction of peace, the relationship between the Christianities of the East and West, the migratory, and environmental and development challenges.

The archbishop of Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, has stressed that the project aims to “foster the dynamics of pilgrimage of hope in the Mediterranean” that will cover its five shores: Aegeo Mar, Black Sea, Los Balkans, South Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Thus, he stressed that this initiative seeks to “listen and collect the experience of the five shores”, to promote coordination with organizations, diocese and universities, “live synodality in ecclesial places that are mixed”, contribute to fraternity and build a culture of dialogue and peace.

The priest in charge of the project, P. Alexis Leproux, stressed that the sea and the ship – a thump of three sticks – become “tools that will allow us to insert young people into a triple process”, which implies assuming their own identity, foster fraternity based on mutual knowledge and commit to work together.

For his part, the Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Cardinal Juan José Omella, stressed that “the recognized, accepted diversity valued, makes identity grow”, and that “our national, religious identity grows to the extent that we value, respect and listen to the other ”.

In addition, he pointed out that this project has echoes from the third encyclical of Pope Francis, All brothersin which we emphasize that we are “diverse but complementary.”

On the other hand, he pointed out that “we are called to understand and build a new city together,” because “if we see the other as an enemy that we have to deed, fight, win or humiliate, so the world will not advance.”