Cardinal Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Germany, bought a sea-going boat to save the refugees and migrants that were in danger of sinking and losing their lives while crossing from Libya (North Africa) to the northern Mediterranean coast.
By Fr Oskar Wermter SJ
Why do people from Somalia, the Near East, Iraq, Yemen and North African countries not find refugees along the North African coast? All too often the State does not often give them safety. Where can they find economic safety and prowess of any kind? Where can they find protection and a future? Where will they be welcomed as competent workers?
When the refugees travelled from the extreme east of this country to the extreme west, there was no alternative.
The physical contact, the wooden boat, the people pressed together — all of them being one group without freedom — they were not granted any liberty of any sort: How could we find it for our colleagues and grant them freedom and happiness?
The boat changed the people and its many travellers!
Let us travel with them too!
The boat will be handed over to the “House of History”.
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This was the only time that such a history happened. Many citizens had a unique event and rare historical encounter.
Many people saw such people with great surprise and accepted them with happiness, and a clear direction.
Jesus was forever on the move. He will be until the end of time and give us still much to do. Eventually, He will know the direction and where it will lead us.
Will we reach the end of the road?
Yes, indeed, we will do something new!
This new world will show us a new surrounding.
We want legal ways of entering the country.
We are happy about new boats and new ways of sharing new boats. The situation on the seas and between the oceans has much improved. The Cardinal demanded that the German population has the duty to save the migrants stranded in Germany.
This is a political duty, Pope Francis gave great praise to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her policy of rescuing African migrants. As a woman, she excelled in rescuing the lives of fellow women, girls, mothers and grandmothers.
Fr Oskar Wermter SJ is a social commentator. He writes in his personal capacity
