Antipolo bishop seeks prayers for Filipino seafarers

Facade of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)in Intramuros, Manila City. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo City is asking devotees to pray for the safe release of 18 Filipino seafarers who were on board the seized oil tanker Saint Nikolas in the Gulf of Oman early this month and are still being held in captivity in Iran.

In a statement released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Santos said they were praying for a peaceful resolution to the disagreement between Iran and the United States that would lead to the release of the seized tanker and its crew members.

“We place our trust in God’s miraculous love for peace, diplomatic settlements, and to soften the hearts of those who hold the oil tanker,” Santos said.

The bishop is CBCP promoter of Stella Maris Philippines, a Catholic charity institution helping seafarers, fishers and their families in the country.

‘Be strong’

“May each one respect life, promote common good, and protect individual rights and welfare. We are one and united with those families. We urge them to be strong and lift up everyone and everything to God. Be strong. Hold on to God. Pray with us,” Santos said.

The Church also called for Masses to be offered for the safety of the seafarers.

On Jan. 11, Iran seized Saint Nikolas,” which was sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands, while in transit between the Iraqi port of Basra and Turkey. The US-controlled and Greek-operated tanker was carrying 145,000 tons of oil from Iraq to Turkey.