For the last three days, I have been conducting a seminar on missiology to the trainees of the Alphonsian Lay Formation Institute here in Iligan. This year, there are 6 young men and women who are undergoing formation. These are the topics that we discussed:
1. Mission in General, Mission ad Gentes, Mission ad Intra
2. Biblical-Theological Foundation of Mission: Trinitarian Source of Mission
(The Father's Plan of Salvation, Christological perspective, pneumatological perspective)
3. Ecclesiological Foundation of Mission
4. The Goal/Paths of Mission
5. Dialogue and Mission
6. Inculturation
7. Explicit Proclamation, Witnessing
8. Building up the local Church/Christian communities, BECs
9. Human Promotion and Development
10. Redemptorist Missions: Historical Overview and Missiological Analysis
After waking up early this morning I checked by blood pressure with my wrist blood pressure monitor. It was high - 148/100, although the heart rate was low (57 beats per minute). I then started meditating - using the centering prayer method. I gazed at the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in front of me, I breathed slowly and deeply as I became aware of the Lord's presence. I repeated silently the word "Shalom" (peace). I felt so relaxed and at peace. After 30 minutes, I ended my meditation with a thanksgiving prayer and then checked my blood pressure again. This time it went down to a normal level: 130/83, with a heart rate of 52 beats per minute.
I do this three times a day - upon waking up early in the morning, at 1:30 in the afternoon, and before going to bed at night. Since doing this method of prayer regularly, my blood pressure level has gone down. I have stopped taking my daily maintenance pill for hypertension. Doctors often tell patients that the only way to treat hypertension is to take medication for the rest of their life. But I have learned that hypertension can be treated with regular meditation. Meditation, not medication.
Physical healing is one of the effects of meditation/centering prayer. It is good for the body, as well as the mind and the soul. Besides developing intimacy with God, centering prayer puts my mind and body into a deep state of relaxation. Without this, I can easily burn out - especially with the pressure of my work and the tense situation around me.
There are a lot priests, religious and lay people who are too busy with their work and the apostolate that they neglect to spend time in prayer and meditation. I have been guilty of this at various times in my life. But I have come to realize that prayer is a necessity. It keeps me in touch with the Lord who is the source of my vitality and dynamism. It is what energizes and heals me.
I cannot continue to be a man of action unless I am also a man of prayer and contemplation. My ministry, my preaching and my work for peace and justice cannot be sustained unless I am able to spend time regularly in prayer. Thus, I always find time for prayer and meditation daily, a monthly recollection and a longer period of solitude and prayer in my hermitage in the mountain of Busay annually.
I like the symbol of the Yin and Yang which is at the basis of Tai-chi. For me, it represents the integration of action and contemplation.
This morning I jogged for three hours. I came back in time for the 10:30 mass. This is what I preached in our church:
29th Sunday A Mt 22:15-21
There are politicians and commentators who are annoyed by the Church's vigorous opposition to House Bill 5043 (Reproductive Health Bill). They see this as, once again, the Church's unwarranted involvement and interference in politics - a travesty to the principle of separation of church and state.
"Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
This is the favorite text of those who think the the Church should mind its own business and not be involved in political matters. President Marcos used to appeal to this text when Church leaders denounced the abuse of power and corruption of his dictatorial regime. When I was arrested, and imprisoned during the early years of Martial Law, this was the text that my interrogators quoted to me while torturing me.
In our Gospel today, Jesus did say these words. But to interpret the text in reference to the separation of Church and State is misleading. Neither can it be understood as a prohibition against the Church's involvement in "political matters." Let us remember that Jesus was asked by the Pharisees who wanted to trap him whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar. If he answered yes, he would be accused of collaborating with the Roman occupiers. If he said no, he would be accused of subversion. Jesus does not give a direct answer. When Jesus says that one should render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God, what Jesus is saying is that while a person can be respectful of civil authority, the ultimate loyalty and obedience is due to God alone. Caesar and God are not co-equal. Nor can the world be divided into 2 spheres: that religious and political sphere. God is greater than Caesar. No civil authority can arrogate to itself what belongs to God. "I am God and there is no other." This is what our first reading reminds us. The members and leaders of the Church are called to be good citizens. And everyone should obey that laws of the state. But this does not mean that we have to agree with all the policies and laws that are to be imposed on us, especially when these are against our conscience and against the law of God.
The Church have often been accused of interfering in politics and violating the principle of separation of church and state But the separation of Church and state simply means that there should be no official state religion and that the state should respect and guarantee the free exercise of religion for all. It does not mean that the Church has no right to oppose or criticize laws and policies that are harmful to the common good. The Church leaders cannot dictate to its members who to vote for and what laws to pass. Nor can it take over the function of civil authorities. But it is part of the Church's prophetic mission to proclaim the message about the sacredness of life, the rights of all - including the unborn, about justice and peace. The church is called to be the conscience of society. When political issues become moral issues, then the Church has the duty and obligation to speak out. It is part of the Church's prophetic mission to denounce evil - especially the culture of death, of violence and corruption, of injustice. When the Church does so, it is not to protect its vested interest or to prove its power but out of service. Those who oppose the Church's "involvement in politics" should remember EDSA I and II could not have happened had the Church remained silent and stayed in the sidelines.
I woke up at 4:30 this morning for meditation. By five pm I walked around the church grounds and then did Tai-chi. I celebrated the Eucharist in the church at six in the morning. After the mass, the organist and some of the choir sang Happy Birthday.
Later in the morning, I went by bike to a beach resort in Samal Island where my fellow Redemptorists were having their recreation. After lunch I biked back to the monastery. At four pm, I began cooking "kare-kare" (oxtail and tripe cooked with vegetables and with peanut sauce). It has been a while since I cooked this dish. The friends of the community arrived bringing some food - the usual potluck for birthday celebration. Everybody liked my "kare-kare" and there was none left after a while. After dinner we had some singing. I accompanied the various singers on the piano.
By nine, with the party was over, everyone went home. I brought some of the cake to the seminar house where some of the young people were practicing the choreography of the e-operetta "Reluctant Saint." During the break they finished the cake.
One of the problems that has beset Philippine society is the land conflict: conflict between the landlords and tenants, conflict between large corporations and farmers who claim that they have been dispossessed, conflict between native Lumads/Muslims and Christian settlers in Mindanao These conflicts have often turned violent. At present the spiral of violence has escalated in Mindanao (between the MILF and government troops) - attrocities have been committed by both sides and the collateral damage - Muslim and Christian civilians caught in the cross-fire continue to increase.
2. The Word of God
In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that it is God who is the owner of the land, of the vineyard, and leaders and people of Israel are the tenants. The prophet denounced the leaders and people of Israel because they produced wild, sour grapes: I looked for justice and found violence I looked for righteousness and heard the cry of distress According to Isaiah God was displeased by the injustice and violence. Israel failed to bring about justice and peace – a violation of the covenant.
In our Gospel today, Jesus echoes the prophet Isaiah and compared the leaders of Israel to the unproductive and murderous tenants who violently rejected the servants of the land-owner including his son. Like the prophet Isaiah, Jesus condemned the leaders for the injustice and violence that prevailed during his time. Jesus also predicted that he would have the same fate as the prophets who were rejected by the leaders of Israel in the past. The kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed would be like a vineyard that will have a bountiful harvest – the kingdom where love, justice, peace and righteousness will reign.
3. Challenge for us Christians
Our readings remind us that God is the real owner of the world’s resources – the air, the seas and the land All of us are tenants – stewards of God’s creation. No one can claim absolute ownership of the world’s resources. God has created of all these that all humankind – the present and future generations --will share and benefit from the bounty of creation God expect everyone to make sure that there is a bountiful harvest that bring about progress for all – not for a few – that justice and peace will prevail We should stop thinking about what is mine, mine, mine – rather about what is ours to share. “there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed”
“I looked for justice and found bloodshed I looked for righteousness and heard the cry of distress”
Isaiah’s lament continues today in our land. The armed conflict continues – between the Government and the NPA between the Government forces and the MILF that could turn into a conflict between Christians and Muslims
It is our duty, our responsibility as Christians to act as good tenants, good stewards and work for peace and justice, and make sure that the resources in our country will be shared by everyone – Muslims, Lumads and Christians. This is the harvest that God – the landowner –wants from us.
Yesterday, I went over to the house of Ustadz Mahmod Adilao to celebrate the Eid'l Ftr - the end of the Ramadhan - with his family. His wife Norayah and daughter Nor Asiah were there, together with their grandchildren. There were also two members of the Focolare movement who arrived later.
Ustadz Adilao is the head of the Ulama League of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao chapter. He is also a member of the Bishops-Ulama Conference. We became close friends seven years ago when we worked together to organize the Caravan for Peace from Davao to Cotabato during the height of the all-out war declared by President Estrada in Central Mindanao. Since then we have occasionally met during consultations, meetings and prayer rallies. His daughter Nor Asiah is also a close friend. We are part of the Silsilah dialogue movement in Davao.
I am so glad to celebrate the Eid'l Ftr with them after expressing my solidarity with the Muslims in Mindanao by also fasting during the Ramadhan - my own version of Duyog-Ramadhan. I have been on a complete fast every Friday, and during the other days I have been eating only once day.
Even if Ramadhan is over, I will continue my Fast for Peace every Friday and will continue to eat only once day during the other days. I am doing so because there is still no peace in our land. With the end of Ramadhan, the fighting has escalated. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) units continue their attack as the Government forces continue their military operations supported by bombing operations. Muslim and Christian civilians have suffered from this ongoing armed conflict. In other parts of Mindanao, the communist New People's Army (NPA) have also increased their tactical offensives and the Government forces have also countered with more operations. Sadly, the Arroyo government has adopted a more hardline, militarist approach.
Yesterday, I attended a Peace Forum which was held at the Crystal Inn in Iligan City. This forum was one of the activities of the "Campaign for Understanding & Peace" sponsored by the Civil Society Organizations-Ranaw in partnership with the Mindanao People's Caucus with he support of the GoP-UNDP Act for Peace Programme. The objectives of the campaign are the following:
-To raise the level of people's awareness on the impact of the conflict based on the perspective of the affected communines and its great cost in terms of psycho-social, economic and physical damage
- To inform people of the continuing efforts to strengthen Muslim-Christian relations despite the challenges
- To encourage community leaders and members to participate in the efforts to promote peace and in resolving conflict.
Besides the Peace Forum in Iligan yesterday, there were other activities this morning:
6:00 - 7:00 am Run & Bike for Peace within Iligan City (with Fr. Robert Reyes the running priest and me -the cycling priest) - from MSU-IIT to Pryce Plaza. I biked beside Fr. Reyes and some runners.
7:00 am - 11 am - Bike & Caravan for Peace from Iligan to Kolambugan (I was accompanied by 25 Iligan bikers and followed by a peace caravan). We stopped over at the Lapayan- a place attacked by MILF- and amidst the ruins we prayed for the victims.
Two kilometers before Kolambugan, we slowed down and followed Fr. Reyes, the Mayor of Kolambugan (Bertrand Lumaque) and those in the Peace Caravan who started walking to the poblacion.
A Peace Forum was conducted at the Gym from 1:30- 4:30 in the afternoon, attended by the residents of this town that was recently attacked by the MILF.
In 1968, we started our priestly formation at the St. Alphonsus' Minor Seminary. We were fourteen years old and there were 28 in our class. Only three were ordained priests - Fr. Senen Javier, Fr. Claro Conde and I.
So forty years later, the three of us came together celebrate and to reminisce. Fr. Senen and I are assigned here in Davao as part of the theology faculty. Fr. Claro Conde is now parish priest in the Isle of Wight, England. He came home to celebrate the death anniversary of his father death and so we invited him to Davao. Our last "reunion" was in Rome fourteen years ago.
For the last three days, I have been facilitating the retreat of the clergy of the diocese of Baguio which was held here in Davao at the Rivier Retreat House. There were 38 priests led by their bishop, Most Rev. Carlito Cenzon, who attended the retreat. The retreat ended this evening.
The theme of the retreat is the same one that I used for the retreat of the Clergy of Infanta the other month - "Priestly Ministry in relation to Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs)."
Today, from 9 am to 5:30 pm, I conducted a seminar-workshop on Prayer & Spirituality to the youth in our parish (Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish). There were over 70 who attended, mostly leaders and members of the core-group coming from the various BECs (Basic Ecclesial Communities).
There were 4 sessions with the following topics:
1. Why we need to pray
- the fruits of prayer
- the spiritual, psyscho-somatic dimension of prayer & meditation
2. When, where and how we pray
finding time and space for prayer
methods/forms of prayer & meditation
- praying with the body
- praying the rosary - meditation on the story of Jesus with Mary
- lectio divina
- centering prayer
- contemplation on an icon/image of Jesus
- prayer of petition, thanksgiving,
- examination of conscience & seeking forgiveness
- conversational prayer
- prayer & visualization
- music & prayer
- combining forms/methods
3. Praying with others - Social, Communitarian & Ecclesial Dimension of Prayer
-Why we need to pray together
-Forms of community prayer
- Liturgical Prayer
4. Spirituality of Communion, A Holistic & Integral Spirituality
- Communion with God, one another, nature
- Integrating prayer/contemplation with action (loving service, proclamation)
We ended the seminar with a, celebration of the Eucharist. In my homily I explained to the participants the meaning of the Eucharist and why we need to celebrate it together constantly.
(I was amazed by interest of the young people who attended the workshop. They were not at all bored. They were very attentive and they actively participated in the various forms of prayer that we tried. It just confirms that there is a hunger among young people for spirituality. It is a hunger that the Church must respond to. Otherwise, they will just turn to other religious traditions to learn how to pray and meditate.)
For 24 hours, I won't be eating anything. I am praying and fasting for peace amidst the escalating armed conflict in central and western Mindanao during the month of Ramadan. I will be doing this every Friday, starting today. I will still be fasting on the other days of the week but it will be the traditional Catholic type of fasting - this means eating only one meal a day.
I am saddened by the turn of events. The government has abandoned the peace negotiation with the MILF due to the attacks and atrocities perpetrated by two units of the MILF on civilians. There is an ongoing hunt for these groups. The bombings carried out against the MILF positions has collateral damage. There are civilians - both Muslims and Christians - in various evacuation centers. The Philippine military has vowed that there would be no let down on their operations even during the month of the Ramadan. Meanwhile, Christian vigilante groups have sprouted to defend themselves from MILF attacks. I am concerned that this can turn into a Christian-Muslim conflict.
There is nothing much I can do. I feel so helpless in the midst of this seemingly hopeless situation. I cannot bike for peace across the war-torn areas - the classes have already started and besides I am afraid to be caught in the cross-fire. So I can only fast and pray.
Being a Christian, I am observing a fast to express my solidarity with Muslims in Mindanao who are fasting today. Way back in the 1980s, the late Bishop Benny Tudtud of the Prelature of Marawi and the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference introduced the "Duyog Ramadan." It was an invitation for Christians to reach out to the Muslims during the Ramadan in order to engage in a dialogue of life and faith. It was during the height of the armed conflict between the MNLF and the government. Today, I am doing the same. As I fast, I also remember in a special way theMuslims who have become close to me - my friends and partners in dialogue whom I consider my "relatives", not by blood, but by a common faith in the One God - the God of Abraham (Ibrahim), Isaac, Ishmael and Jacob. The God whom Jesus (Isa ibn Maryam, al Masih, al Nabi) calls Father. The same God that Muhammad (pbuh) worshipped.
As I fast, I also pray that that this armed conflict will not worsen Christian-Muslim relations. Above all I pray that it will stop. This war has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
I pray that President Arroyo will have more patience and not allow these attacks, which the MILF leadership denied ordering, to scuttle the peace negotiations. May she not make impossible pre-conditions (such as disarmament, demobilization or integration) for talks to continue. These are supposed to be discussed at the later phase of the negotiations once agreement has been reached.
I pray that the MILF leadership show convincing proof that it is investigating and intend to punish the local MILF commanders responsible for the atrocities. May they not make the signing of the MOA-AD a precondition for peace negotiations to continue. May the become aware that majority of Filipinos cannot accept the dismemberment of the nation as the cost for peace.
I pray that Christians and Muslims and Lumads learn to accept that the land and all its resources belong to God and should be shared by all - by this generation and the next. "There is enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed."
What is needed is an all-out peace, not an all-out war. May the new peace panel be reconstituted soon. This what I am praying and fasting for.
Government leaders and politicians who live in safety and comfort in Manila should think about people in Mindanao who are the ones to face the consequences of an all-out war policy.
This afternoon, from 2 to 5 pm, members of the Davao chapter of the Silsilah dialogue movement gathered at the Redemptorist monastery. Several Muslim Imams and Ustadz, together with a Muslim youth leader attended. Two priests, a seminarian and a religious sister also joined, as well as member of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. All those who attended have gone through the Silsilah Christian-Muslim Dialogue seminar in Zamboanga.
We started with an opening prayer - led by Imam Diong (for the Muslim side) and me (for the Christian side). The Bible and the Quran were prominently placed at the center. Then we shared our feelings and views about the recent developments in Mindanao, about the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), and the resurgence of violence following the stopping of the signing by the Supreme Court.
The Muslims in the Forum were horrified and saddened by the killings of innocent Christian civilians perpetrated by some MILF units under Commanders Bravo and Kato. They said that it was un-Islamic and must be condemned. This has contributed to the breakdown of the peace process. The Christians in the Forum also expressed their concerns about the ongoing military operations against some MILF units that has led to collateral damage among Muslim civilians. We lamented the emergence of the Ilagas - the Christian vigilantes, and the danger that it could turn the whole thing into a Christian-Muslim conflict.
We prayed and hope that the peace process will continue and the ceasefire be observed. We all agreed that any peace agreement should respect the rights of all the peoples in Mindanao - Muslims, Lumad and Christians. Since God is the creator of everything, the land and resources of Mindanao should be shared by all and not monopolized by one group. Any agreement on ancestral domain should take into consideration the claims of the Lumad or Indigenous peoples and the fact that there are already many Christians living in Mindanao. Thus, there should be extensive consultation and participation before any final agreement is reached.
Last night, I celebrated the Eucharist with 15 members of the Davao Redemptorist Youth Mission Team - the DRYM team. We started at 7:30 pm and ended at 9:45 pm. What made the liturgy long was the sharing after the Gospel. They shared about their experiences of evangelizing and organizing young people in the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the parish - the joys and the sorrows and their experience of God's presence.
I am very pleased by the missionary dynamism of these young people. Some of them are still finishing college while others are already working as teachers and nurses, yet they are still able to set aside time for mission among young people in our parish. This for me is indeed a sign of hope.
The other week, when I first heard the news that the MILF and the Government were about to sign a memorandum of agreement about the ancestral domain issue, I was filled with joy. I thought that this was a breakthrough in the peace process. But I was concerned about the lack of transparency and consultation especially about the content of the MOA. I had also suspicions about the real agenda of President Arroyo, since the MOA required charter change in order to implement it. After the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the MOA the trouble began.
What was supposed to be a breakthrough for peace has turned into a breakdown. The MILF violated the ceasefire agreement by attacking and occupying towns in Cotabato and Lanao. A lot of attrocities have been committed. Old people and children were not spared. There were two bombing in my hometown in Iligan City. Last night I talked with my sister in Iligan and she told me that there was panic in the city. My other sister and her family have evacuated to a safer place because of the fear that their area will soon be attacked.
I am deeply saddened and disappointed at this turn of events. And to think that last week, seven bishops headed by Archbishop Capalla met with seven MILF representatives headed by Monagher Iqbal. They even came out with the statement saying that "both the MILF and the bishops reiterate their unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao and resolve and support the continuation of the peace proc ess between the MILF and the government until its successful conclusion is achieved."
The recent development has opened old wounds especially among the Christians who have been affected by this senseless violence. It has also reinforced old prejudices that the Moro cannot be trusted to keep his word, or that even if you have become his friend he will betray you. This could escalate once again into a Christian-Muslim conflict. This is unfortunate. Without the support of the people at the grassroots, any MOA or peace agreement will be useless.
What I find reassuring is many Muslim leaders have also condemned the MILF attacks. I hope that the MILF leadership will really investigate the field commanders whom they claim acted without authorization and make them answerable for the attrocities. Otherwise, they will lose the trust and goodwill that have been generated over the years. The peace process will not prosper.
I keep on hoping and praying for peace in Mindanao.
Yesterday was our monthly community recreation. We went over to our beach house in Dasag, Samal Island. I spent an hour scuba diving. It was very peaceful and relaxing underwater. But the seascape is no longer as beautiful as it was nine years ago when I started diving here. It was like an underwater garden then - very colorful and lots of fish. This time the corals are bleaching - they are dying and turning white & grey. There are few fish. I remember watching Al Gore's documentary "The Incovenient Truth" the other night with the community. He said that one of the effects of global warming is that coral reefs are bleaching. What I saw under the sea seems to verify this.
While the negotiators of the MILF and the Government are continuing their peace talks in Kuala Lumpur, some Catholic priests, Protestant Pastors and Muslim Imams gathered here in Davao this afternoon to discuss the People's Agenda for Peace and Development facilitated by the AFRIM. We were joined by s0me members of the Bishops-Ulama Conference: Archbishop Fernando Capalla, Bishop Delfin Callao of the Philippine Independent Church, and Ustadz Mahmoud Adilao of the Ulama League of the Philippines.
We shared our understanding of peace and development and framework which we should approach this.
We believe that achieving peace and development is not just the task of the peace negotiators from the MILF and the government. The religious leaders, civil society organizations and the grassroots communities (Muslims, Christians and Lumads) have the responsibility to participate in this process and influence the agenda.
Archbishop Capalla shared an interesting understanding of peace. He said that for the ancient Romans, peace means reaching a agreement or settlement. For the Greeks it means a "lull" from fighting or "ceasefire." But for Christians and Muslims peace means "shalom" or "salaam" - wholeness and reconciliation. The government and the MILF may reach a signed agreement and a ceasefire. But we have to go further - we - the various peoples that live in Mindanao (Muslims, Christians and Lumads) have to reach a state of "shalom." This requires a process of healing and reconciliation, of rooting out the hurts and hatred in our hearts. This is where various groups like us can come in and encourage our communities at the grassroots to get involved in the process of peace and development.
While peace requires that the guns be silenced and the bloodshed stopped, peace is not just the absence of war. Genuine peace can only be achieved when the roots of the conflict is addressed, when there is justice and reconciliation, when there is sustainable development.
It is high time that grassroots communities tell the MILF, the NPA and the Armed Forces of the Philippines - give peace a chance, top your all out war. Instead of just waiting for these groups to come up with a peace agreement and the cessation of armed hostilities, these communities should also expand the zones of peace and development.
For the last two days, I have been assisting two members of the US-based HumanRights Watch conduct research and interviews about the killings perpetrated by the Davao Death Squads (DDS).
In spite of the opposition and condemnations by the Church and civil society, the killings carried out by the DDS have not subsided. Our data as of May 2008 show that there are 641 documented cases of summary executions (since 1998). Just 5 days ago, there were four killings that have been reported. Most of the victims are young people accused of drug use and drug pushing, petty theft, membership in gangs.
Many of those interviewed believe that the DDS is sponsored by local government officials in the city and the barangays. They say that the DDS is composed mainly of rebel-returnees (esp. f0rmer sparrow unit hitmen of the NPA) and off-duty police officers. The list of targets (order of battle) are compiled with the help of the barangay intelligence network. It has the support of big business who claim that it has made Davao peaceful and crime-free. It appears that these killings is part of a systematic campaign to rid the city of petty criminals using means that are criminal and illegal. These observations are similar to that reported by UN special rapporteaur Alston.
It will be difficult to prove these allegations because no one is willing to come out and testify. There were already two cases of filed against alleged DDS hitmen who were caught but these have not prospered - it was difficult to find witnesses and the suspects were granted bail and have disappeared.
Meanwhile, there is very little outcry to these killings. Many ordinary citizens even think that this is good since the DDS is getting rid of the criminals in our midst. But there are still many who are against it but think that there is nothing we can do about it. The killings continue and all we can do is to count the victims. The crimes and criminals continue to increase - and the big ones occupy high positions in government.
What is happening reminds me of the martial law period when suspected criminals were executed by secret marshalls sponsored by the dictatorial government. Yes, this is indeed a legacy of martial law. This is one of the manifestation of the culture of death that rules Philippine society. There is a lack of respect for the value of life and the rule of law. The national government under the leadership of president Arroyo has failed to do something to stop this.
Several years ago, Archbishop Capalla already wrote a pastoral letter condemning it. The Redemptorist community in Davao has denounced it. We have constantly preached against it. Yet the killings continue. What more can we do?
We will continue to exercise our prophetic mission even at the risk of incurring the ire of those responsible for these killings. Someday, they will be held accountable for their crimes and sins - if not in this life, then before the Divine Tribunal.
For the last 8 days (July 14-22), 69 Redemptorists of the Cebu Province (working in Visayas and Mindanao) have been gathering as a Chapter-Assembly. We ended this afternoon and this is the statement that we came up with:
PASSION FOR CHRIST, PASSION FOR THE POOR
FINAL STATEMENT
FIFTH CHAPTER, PROVINCE OF CEBU
JULY 15 - 22, 2008
Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(Mark 12: 29-31)
At our Fifth Chapter, we heard God’s message for us as Redemptorist missionaries.
We heard the call for everyone to undergo a radical conversion to the person of Jesus.As in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus calls each one of us to make ourselves a neighbor to those in need.
We also discerned the Spirit leading us to a greater realization that central to our spirituality is the relationship between the Person of the Redeemer and the choice of the poor and the abandoned which – as embodied in Constitution 5 -isthe badge of fidelity to our vocation.
Passion for Christ is Passion for the Poor. This constitutes the very heart of our missionary identity.
As we grappled with the need to intensify our presence among the poor, we asked ourselves the question - who are the poor in the Philippines today? As our mission teams have been serving the needs of those living in the remote rural, mountainous areas and islands, we are familiar withagricultural workers,tenant farmers, small land-owning peasants and indigenous peoples.
In the urban centers – where our foundations are located - we can find the poor in the streets, slums and squatter areas including the unemployed, the unskilled daily wage earners, casual employees, migrant workers, the street people and the out-of-school youth.
We have come to realize, however, that there has been a major shift in populations to the urban centers; there are more people now living in cities. Thus, we believe our presence among and service to the urban poor have to be intensified.
In the past triennia, we responded to the needs of the poor by focusing our efforts in BECs, Youth and Social Concerns.These remain important areas in our apostolate but, today,we see a need to focus our efforts more in urban areas.
At this Chapter, we accepted that Passion and Compassion are movements of the Spirit that give meaning to our mission, animate our spirituality and impart quality to our community life.Our reflections also led us to discover our own limitations and ambiguities, our fragility and inconsistencies and the influences of evil in our world and in ourselves.
We have continued to speak and write about the challenge of the poor but we have not done nearly enough. There is a distance between us and the people, owing to our lifestyle and a tendency towards nesting.We hope that with our mission teams, parishes, shrines, retreat houses and other apostolate, as well as in living out our vowed life, we can take steps towards shifting to a lifestyle and commitment that mirrors the radicality of our vows.
We have also believed that the contemplative dimension of our life has to include a rootedness in Christ along with closeness to the most abandoned. We seek to encourage each other towards devoting more time for prayer as well as creating in our communities an atmosphere conducive to meditation and contemplation. We aim towards living our vows in such a way that we give witness to the message we preach.
We embraced the need to have a passion for our confreres as brothers. There have been many reasons to be thankful for the blessings and positive gains in our community life and the administration of the Province. However, we also acknowledged the need for conversion in these areas given our weaknesses and shortcomings.
As a Province we have affirmed the gains that have been made vis-Ã -vis the call of the Generalate towards restructuring. We honor our commitments in the Asia-Oceania Region in terms of both joint formation programs and initiatives in the apostolate.We specifically seek to strengthen our ties with our confreres in the ManilaVice-Province.
Taking all these into consideration, we take to heart the following Postulata (P) and Exhortations/ Recommendations (E/R):
1.URBAN MISSIONS (P)
a. Our Existing Apostolic Units
As an apostolic community dedicated to following Jesus Christ the Redeemer, who became poor, and as an expression of our passion for the poor, the Chapter directs all apostolic units to give greater emphasis to our call to evangelize the poor and to be evangelized by the poor. To ensure that this happens, the Chapter directs the setting in motion of a process which includes the following:
1)When the communities come together to draw up their Plan of Community Life (PCL), special attention will be given to devise a Program that will involve direct contact for all members of the community with the poor of the area. This Program will be holistic, with efforts made to respond to the faith-life needs of the poor and empower the same poor to be instruments of evangelization in our own lives as Redemptorists.
2)The Program will be evaluated by each community during its mid-year Review ofLife.
3)The Apostolic Secretariat will devise a method of evaluation, keeping in mind the spirit of the Chapter, which will be offered to the communities.
b. A New Pastoral Initiative to respond to the needs of the Urban Poor
Recognizing the special needs of the Urban Poor and the challenge presented to us as Redemptorists to respond to those needs, as well as respecting our existing Commitment to rural missions, the Chapter directs the OPC to ensure the existence of a Mission Team in the Province, attached to an established community, which will give special emphasis to responding to the needs of the Urban Poor in the preaching of the Gospel.
2. COLLABORATION WITH MANILAVICE-PROVINCE (P)
In response to the call of the XXIII General Chapter for greater collaboration and solidarity between and among Units of the Congregation, the Chapter directs the OPC of the Cebu Province to continue the process already in motion wherein both the Cebu Province and the Manila Vice-Province seek further ways of collaborating with each other in the areas of mission, formation, Redemptorist life and administration.
3.REDEMPTORIST ITINERANT MISSION COMMUNITY (P)
The Chapter continues to affirm the Redemptorist Itinerant Mission Community as a radical expression of our Redemptorist Missionary identity. However, to further deepen this expression of our commitment, the Chapter directs the OPC to evaluate the RIMC as it currently exists in the light of its original vision with a view to solidifying and strengthening that identity.
4.YOUTH MINISTRY (P)
The Chapter recognizes the importance of youth ministry, acknowledging that often the youth are the most abandoned in terms of the importance given them by both Church and State. Therefore, the Chapter directs the OPC to appoint a Youth Ministry Coordinator and/or a Youth Ministry Team to facilitate each Apostolic Unit (Churches, Parishes, Mission Teams and Retreat Houses) set in place a Youth Ministry Program that will respond to the pastoral needs of our young people, especially the out-of-school youth.
5.GENERAL MISSIONS (E)
Encouraged by the impact of recent General Missions, the Chapter encourages the continuation of such Missions. When requests are made, the OPC, through the powers invested in it as the Leadership Team of the Province, have the right to seek the cooperation of all confreres in the Province.
6.ON SPIRITUALITY (P)
The Chapter directs that each community and each of its members, when the community meets for the PCL at the beginning of the triennium, make an inventory of their lives. This inventory will focus in a special way on the following considerations:
a.How much time we spend in direct contact with the poor;
b.How we use our resources, especially how much money we spend on ourselves in contrast to the amounts we spend on improving the lives of the poor.
c.While recognizing the value and even the necessity of the use of moderntechnology, we have to examine if the values of our community life are not being undermined
1)in the manner in which we acquire our instruments of modern technology,
2)in the use we make of them vis-Ã -vis our life of simplicity and poverty,
3)in our choice of the more expensive and latest model of theseinstruments for the sake of our personal gratification.
d.How much time we devote to prayer vis-Ã -vis our other activities and how we create in our communities an atmosphere conducive to prayer and contemplation.
In keeping with our current practice, the PCLs, after being evaluated by the community itself, will be submitted to the OPC and the Community Secretariat for further reflection and for possible help in facilitating a more radical conversion to Christ.
7.ON COMMUNITY
a. Living in a rapidly changing world where we are confronted with new realities and challenges everyday, the Chapter acknowledges the importance of on-going formation, theological renewal and skills training for all confreres in the Province. Therefore, the Chapter directs the incoming OPC/EPC to direct the incoming Community Secretariat to draw up a specific and definite Program of Renewal which will facilitate the professional engagement of confreres, and our lay cooperators, with such new realities and challenges. (P)
b. In order to promote greater community consciousness among us, the Chapter recommends that the OPC facilitate the re-printing of the Booklet, Important Values in Community Life and How to Live Them, and ensure that each confrere is given a copy for use in strengthening community structures, for example, the monthly Recollection, the use of a discernment process in making important decisions and so on. (R)
8.ON GOVERNANCE
a. While recognizing the value of personal autonomy the Chapter also acknowledges the importance of our corporate identity as Redemptorists, both at the level of the local community and the Province. In this we see a certain tension. In order to assist us in promoting our religious identity and to ensure greater openness to the decisions made by various leadership teams in the Province we need to open a dialogue in the Province concerning this issue. As a starting point, the Chapter directs that early in the triennium the Community Secretariat, with the help of competent resource persons, organize a seminar/retreat on the theme: Leadership, Authority and Obedience in Religious Life Today. Following on this, the Community Secretariat will continue to facilitate on-going dialogue on this issue both in communities and at the Province level. (P)
b. To ensure greater efficiency and better communication and accountability between the Councils and the Secretariats, the Chapter directs that the OPC, for this triennium, appoint the Chairmen of the various Secretariats. This will be reviewed at the Chapter of 2011 and, if it is deemed advisable, a change will be made to the Provincial Statutes at that time. (P)
c.To ensure the implementation of Chapter/Council decisions, and to utilize existing structures, the Chapter directs that the OPC/EPC extends greater authority to the various Secretariats of the Province as envisaged by Decree 50 in the Statutes, Decrees and Electoral Law for the Redemptorists of the Cebu Province. For this to be effective, greater communication between the Secretariats and the communities, as well as greater communication between the Secretariats and the Councils, is essential.(R)
9.ON CONVOKING A CHAPTER-ASSEMBLY (P)
This Chapter, in accordance with a, 2, 602 of the Directory of Chapters, convokes the 6th Chapter of the Province of Cebu in the form of an Assembly.
10.ON THE ACTA (R)
The Chapter Delegates Approval of the Acta to the EPC.
Yesterday, I accompanied my Muslim friend, Nor, to the house of Yoks Briones. I have known Yoks since 2003 when he acted as guide when we climbed Mt. Apo. He has also joined the annual bike for peace which I organize annually during the Mindanao Week of Peace. Last March 24, he accompanied me as far as Lomondao - 50 km from Davao City on the first day of my Bike-Tour around the Philippines. I was surprised when Nor told me a few days ago that Yoks had leukemia and that his doctor has told him that he only has six months to live. So when Nor told me that she was going to visit Yoks, I told her that I will come with her.
When I saw Yoks yesterday, he was lying in bed and looked very weak. He has lost a lot of weight and he couldn't speak because of a throat infection. His wife, Divina, told me that they decided not to have chemotheraphy since the doctor told them that he has reached the terminal stage. The doctor even told them not to bother considering alternative healing since nothing will come out it. In short, the doctor has passed the death sentence.
It was no wonder that Yoks feels frightened, hopeless and helpless. Those around him, including his wife, and his friends expect him to die soon. They even wonder if he will be able to celebrate his birthday in December. His friends consoled him by saying that he is fortunate since at least he knows when he is going to die and he can prepare himself.
I prayed over Yoks and taught him to meditate. I told him not to believe in the doctor's death sentence. Nobody has right to declare when we are going to die. We are all going to die but we don't know when. And we should never look at ourselves as dying. We are either alive or dead. We should not think of dying, but of living - a day at a time. I also told him not to be afraid of death. It is not the end of human existence but a transition to another mode of existence -with God. But he should not easily give up living and wait for death to come.
I will be visiting Yoks again two weeks from now after our general assembly in Cebu. I still don't know if by December we will be celebrating his birthday or his funeral. But I will try my best to minister to him and assist in his healing process. We cannot give up hope.
I still remember Alice who came to me more than year ago. She had cancer and her doctor had told her that she only had three months to live. She refused to have surgery since she had reached the terminal stage and the doctor told her that it would be useless. She had given up hope and everyone around her expected that she was going to die. I taught Alice to meditate and to visualize herself living up to 80 years old and to see her granchildren grow up. She forgave her mother whom she hated for abandoning her when she ways young. She achieved inner healing. And she decided to have surgery. After more than a year, Alice is alive and healthy. The cancer is gone. The lesson: do not believe in the doctor's death sentence.
Cancer is a mysterious ailment. Modern medicine relies too much on drugs and technology - chemotheraphy, surgery, radiotherapy. But these have proven to be very expensive and ineffective. This has led American oncologists such as Simonton and Siegel to consider a more holistic approach that mobilize the power of the mind and of belief. That is why meditation, visualization, prayer and other easter modalities (such as reiki and pranic healing) can be helpful in this. This is where the priests, shamans and psycho-therapists can help.
Doctors should be careful in dealing with a cancer patient. Cancer is not necesarrily a death sentence. They should never tell a patient that there is no hope and that he should prepare for death. It will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In his book, Peace, Love and Healing, Dr. Siegel tells this story: "The aunt was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given three months to live. In desperation she went to Mexico for laetrile, returned home and was doing beautifully a year later, having gone back to work and started driving a car again. She felt great. Then one day she ran into her original doctor, who expressed shock and surprise that she was still alive. When she told him what she had done, he indignantly proclaimed laetrile quackery and berated her for wasting her time and money and said he could show her proof. She died that night."
Besides medicine, what a cancer patient needs is faith, hope and love. The most cruel thing a doctor can do is to make the patient feel hopeless and helpless and to dismiss alternative and spiritual healing as quackery.
Today we mark the 23rd anniversary of the disappearance of Fr. Rudy Romano. He was a Redemptorist assigned in Cebu who was actively involved in struggle against the Marcos dictatorial regime. He courageously spoke out against the abuses of under martial law. On July 11, 185 he was abducted by military intelligence agents and since then has not been found. Fr. Rudy was one of the hundreds of desaparecidos -victims of the the dictatorial rule. After Marcos was deposed by people power, we heard from sources within the military that he died during interrogation. Until now we still don't know where they buried him.
I have known Fr. Rudy since 1972 when he was assigned in Iligan. I accompanied him in the parish mission in Balingoan during my summer vacation in May 1972, a few months before the declaration of martial law. I was impressed by his missionary zeal as we moved from barrio to barrio conducting mission evangelization seminars among the people.
As we remember Fr. Rudy, I am appalled that cases of forced disappearances and political killings are still happening under this supposedly democratic government. Many continue to be missing - among them Jonas Burgos. Marcos the dictator is gone - but his legacy is lives on under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Some of those involved in the abduction and death of Fr. Rudy Romano are probably still around and occupying high positions in the military, hiding their dirty secrets and continuing their dirty war.
Never again! This was our cry after the fall of the dictator. And now we have more of the same. When, O Lord, can we be truly freed from evil? When can we be freed from corruption and abuses of those in power?
I hope that someday, the truth will come out and those responsible for the abduction and death of Fr. Rudy and thousands of desaparecidos under the Marcos regime and the Arroyo administration will be brought to justice.
PSALM FROM PRISON (For Fr. Rudy Romano)
From this dark and lonely cell I cry out to you Lord, hear my groaning.
I don't know where I am. I don't know whether it's night or day. I don't know what will happen next.
My throat is sore, I cannot scream anymore. My fingers are swollen, I cannot clench my fist. My ribs are broken, I cannot stand erect.
I hate the sight of water I can no longer bear a single drop. I loathe those cigarettes that penetrate my skin. I dread the sound of footsteps and the opening of the door. I prefer this darkness than face the glaring light. I can just imagine what they are going to do next.
They said only I can end my suffering if I cooperate with them and sign the confession they manufactured and bear false witness against myself and those who oppose this diabolical regime.
How much longer, O Lord, can I hold on? How much longer can I maintain my sanity? How long will they keep me in this limbo?
Will I ever see again the sun? Will I ever see again the faces of those I love and serve? Or will they make me disappear forever?
Lord, deliver us from these kidnappers and murderers who are trying to maintain peace and order. Deliver us from these mercenaries whose obsession is to defend national security‑‑ the security of this bloodthirsty and power‑hungry dictator, the security of his cronies and their big business interests, the security of his alien lords and their bases and investments.
O Lord, my God, I know that you are neither blind nor deaf. your mercy and compassion endures forever. You have always been a subversive God: you scatter the proud, you depose the mighty, you empty the rich, you lift up the lowly, you free the oppressed, you fill the hungry.
I cry out now to you: subvert this evil kingdom and empire! Let your spirit fill the hearts of those who are struggling to build your kingdom of justice, peace and freedom.
From this dark and lonely cell I cry out to you, Lord hear my prayer.
Into your hands, O Lord I commend my broken body and my wavering spirit.
