On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the chirograph was published, by which the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, established the Apostolate of the Sea as the central and coordinating body of the Work of the Apostolate of the Sea, simultaneously approving its Statutes.
For a long time, the Church has accompanied the people of the sea, taking care of the unique spiritual needs of those who live and work in the maritime environment. The establishment of this central, coordinating body stems, therefore, from the “fervent desire that the spiritual care of the Church in the field of maritime pastoral care may continue with enthusiasm and generosity,” as stated in the chirograph.
This body was shaped after a significant process of consultation that began in October 2023, involving national directors and bishop promoters of the Work of the Apostolate of the Sea on different continents, and continued in 2025 with more focused consultations on the objectives and structure of the Apostolate of the Sea.
The consultations were conducted and coordinated by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which, in accordance with Article 166 § 1 of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, exercises care for both the direction of the entire Work of the Apostolate of the Sea and the supervision of its central body (Article 1 § 3 of the Statutes of the Apostolate of the Sea).