More than 250 migrants have drowned since the beginning of 2019 while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to escape poverty and violence. Photo: Óglaigh na hÉireann.
Church leaders urge Christians not to turn away
(Lutheran World Information Center) – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (ELCI) has called for greater solidarity and compassion to prevent the tragedy of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea.
In a statement published on 21 January, Rev. Heiner Bludau, dean of the ELCI, said that he was “lost for words” when he learned of the deaths of 117 people after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya.
He noted that another 53 migrants died over the weekend at sea between Spain and Morocco, but that these tragedies were barely mentioned in the media. If just as many Europeans had died, he added, “we would see an enormous amount of coverage on television and in the newspapers, as well as a corresponding response and reflection on preventing similar disasters in the future.”
“Can we still claim to be civilized people if we turn away?”
– Rev. Heiner Bludau, dean of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy.
The statement says that since 2015 around 15,000 migrants have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean to flee war and poverty. Rev. Bludau continued: “How are we any different from those who try to reach Europe in rubber dinghies? Can we still claim to be civilized people if we turn away?”
Of the 120 people in the overcrowded boat off the coast of Libya, only three survived, pulled from the icy water by an Italian military helicopter. Among the dead were ten women and two children.
Rev. Bludau said that the latest tragedy occurred on 18 January, the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, whose theme this year is the search for justice. He said that the deaths of these 253 people raise questions that we, as Christians, have a duty to address.
Daniela Barbuscia, head of diakonia for the ELCI, echoed these concerns, adding that the disaster “could have been prevented” if the NGO boats patrolling the Mediterranean had not been “blocked by uncompassionate policies.”
The ELCI, a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is made up of 15 local communities with around 7,000 members. Together with the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) and with financial support from Germany, it runs several programs that provide services to migrants and other people in need.Rome, Italy / Geneva
| 22./01./2019.
Source: The Lutheran World Federation
Photo by Óglaigh na hÉireann. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.