TAYO-TAYO MUNA!TAYO-TAYO MUNA!Intrafaith Conversation among Catholics in the Service of Intrafaith Conversation among Catholics in the Service of

Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims and LumadsInterfaith Dialogue with Muslims and LumadsAlbert E. Alejo, SJAlbert E. Alejo, SJ

SA TOTOO LANGSA TOTOO LANG

1. Sa totoo lang, ano talaga ang tingin ko at pakiramdam sa mga Muslim at sa mga katutubo? Honestly, how do I see and feel about the Muslims and the indigenous peoples?

2. Anong karanasan ang pinangga-galingan ng ganitong pananaw at pakiramdam? What experiences are the source of these views and feelings?

CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN ACTIONS AGAINST LOVE, PEACE, THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLES, AND RESPECT FOR

CULTURES AND RELIGIONS (POPE JOHN PAUL II, DAY OF PARDON, MARCH 12, 2000

• “Lord of the world, Father of all, through your Son you asked us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for those who persecute us. Yet Christians have often denied the Gospel; yielding to a mentalíty of power, they have violated the rights of ethnic groups and peoples, and shown contempt for their cultures and religious traditions: be patient and merciful towards us, and grant us your forgiveness! We ask this through Christ our Lord.”

Asking for Forgiveness for the Asking for Forgiveness for the Sins Against Indigenous Sins Against Indigenous

PeoplesPeoples1. Why now? Where is this coming from?

2. Saying sorry for what, exactly? To whom?

3. Who is in a position to say sorry? Who is supposed to say “It’s okay na!”?

4. What about justice?

5. What is the best way of expressing sorry? How do we know we are forgiven?

6. How do we move forward?

CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCEEffects of Colonialism

(Excerpts from J. de Mesa)

RESULTING CULTURAL CONDITION

COLONIZER

COLONIZED

IF YOU WANT PROGRESS, LEARN OUR WAYS. THEY’RE THE BEST!

I MUST LEARN THEIR WAYS AND FORGET OURS.

Francisco Gainza, O.P., Bishop of Nueva Caceres

“One cannot in justice demand from a native priest what he expects from a Spanish priest. Generally speaking, [the native priests] lack the strength in character, the drive and initiative in their work; their upbringing is very different from ours, and their habits and customs are not those of Europe. Caeteris paribus they are inferior in aptitude and talent. To wish them then to be on the same level as the Spanish priests is to ignore the immense gap which separates the two races, to wish an absurd thing, to demand the impossible.”

1720 LETTER OF FRAY GASPAR DE SAN AGUSTIN

“These wretched beings are of such a nature that they live a purely animal life, intent solely on its preservation and convenience, without the corrective of reason or respect or esteem for reputation.”

Ungrateful, lazy, stupid, rude, curious and impertinent, insolent towards Spaniards, “they do not know their place,” proud and arrogant, tyrannical, excessively fond of feasts, vain, lustful, vengeful, ignorant, cowardly, and they ate a lot.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NATIVES:

AMERICAN COLONIZATION

"Our troops in the Philippines...look upon all Filipinos as of one race and condition, and being dark men, they are therefore 'niggers,' and entitled to all the contempt and harsh treatment administered by white overlords to the most inferior races."– Boston Herald Correspondent in the Philippines.

CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

Intrafaith Process in the Service of Interfaith Dialogue

Trigger:Trigger: How do How do

religions get religions get

into conflict?into conflict? Islam is a religion of peace. Christianity is a religion of

love. But why do we witness so much fighting among Muslims and Christians? Why the deep and persistent prejudices hurled against each other? And this despite the many interreligious and interfaith dialogues? Presuming that religion is not the main culprit, how is religion “recruited” as it were into this friction? And to what extent are we part of this?

Could it be the Could it be the link between link between

religion, religion, culture, and culture, and

history?history? Faith-based peace activists must understand the dynamics of religion, culture and conflict. E.g. Religion initiates individuals into a community. Community building, however, builds not just identity but boundary. Identity markers both define who is in and who is out. Formation of identity involves oppositional identity. This distinction, when taken too sharply, or too exclusively, can lead to fundamentalism or chauvinism.

We need to engage in We need to engage in Intra-Faith Intra-Faith DialogueDialogue

Existing peace initiatives are closing the gap between “dialogue Christians” and “dialogue Muslims”. But it is not clear whether we are closing the gap between the “dialogue Christians” and the “prejudiced Christians”, or between the “dialogue Muslims” and the “armed Muslims.”

Bishops-Ulama Conference, 35th Bishops-Ulama Conference, 35th General Assembly, Jolo, Sulu, November General Assembly, Jolo, Sulu, November 18-21, 200818-21, 2008

• While we continue with interfaith activities, we shall also pursue authentic intrafaith dialogues among our own communities. We hope that through this open communication, we will find a way to face our own share in the prolonged problem in Mindanao as well as discover how we could go beyond our hurts and biases. Perhaps this holds a key to more creative solutions to the impasse in our peace process.

84 million Philippine population84 million Philippine populationCatholic Church = 83%Catholic Church = 83%Other Christians = 9%Other Christians = 9%Muslims = 5 %Muslims = 5 %Indigenous and other Religious Traditions = 3%Indigenous and other Religious Traditions = 3%

Source: www.nationmaster.comSource: www.nationmaster.com

Mindanao PopulationMindanao Population• 18 Indigenous groups 8.9%

• 13 Islamized tribes 18.5%

• “Kristiyanos”/ “settlers” 72.5%

Public Land Law and Resettlement

Hectarage Allowed

Year Homesteader Non-Christian Corporation

1903 16 has. (no provision) 1,024 has.

1919 24 has. 10 has. 1,024 has.

1936 16 has. 4 has. 1,024 has.

Resettlement: Case of Cotabato 1918 census

Population Range

Towns w/ Moro

Towns w/ Lumad

Towns w/ Settler

50% up 20 5 0

25 - 49.9% 4 2 2

10 – 24.9% 4 7 2

9.9% & less 2 6 18

1939 census

Population Range

Towns w/ Moro

Towns w/ Lumad

Towns w/ Settler

50% up 20 9 3

25 - 49.9% 5 2 2

10 – 24.9% 6 3 10

9.9% & less 2 8 13

1970 census

Population Range

Towns w/ Moro

Bayan ng Lumad

Bayan ng Settler

50% up 10 0 38

25 - 49.9% 8 1 4

10 – 24.9% 11 5 5

9.9% & less 21 31 2

COTABATO 1918 CENSUS

Bayan ng Lumad - 5

Bayan ng Moro - 20

COTABATO 1939 CENSUS

Bayan ng Moro - 20

Bayan ng Lumad - 9

Bayan ng Settler - 3

POPULATION CHANGE IN COTABATO 1918-1970

1918 1939

1970

Bayan ng Moro

Bayan ng Lumad

Bayan ng Settler

Mindanao Population• 18 Indigenous groups 8.9%

• 13 Islamized tribes 18.5%

• “Kristiyanos”/ “settlers” 72.5%

Challenging “Majority-Minority” Habit of Thinking

1. The majority now has not been the majority in the beginning.

2. Christians form the majority in the Philippines, but we are minority in the rest of Asia.

3. While Christians feel we are the majority in the country, actually, in some places like Basilan, Christians are a minority.

CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCECorruption as Violence

Warning: Corruption as Warning: Corruption as ViolenceViolence

Mindanao has been the “favorite” destination of official development assistance (ODA) projects from international donor agencies and INGOs. But until now, at least seven provinces in Mindanao are still among the country’s poorest. This is because of corruption. Corruption is another form of violence.

Post-conflict Corruption, Post-conflict Corruption, too!too!

Even when conflicts are resolved, corruption remains a problem. Peace agreements attract big grants from foreign donors, which open up opportunities for personal gains. Diversion of relief supplies away from affected communities is just one way corruption in aid is manifested. Some funding agencies themselves have been involved in illicit realignment of trust funds. Stakeholders are reluctant to tackle this issue, but if this is not monitored, all previous peace efforts may be wasted.

Church as part of problem

• ‘There's a whole history to show that the Church, though part of the solution, is also part of the problem -- probably more the second than the first. It's a Church, quite incidentally, that is itself cleaved into rich and poor, in part involuntarily -- some parishes are poorer than others…As with the society itself, the pocket of wealth and opulence at the top is matched by breathtaking deprivation below, a spectacular divide that doesn't suggest it holds on to values conducive to honesty, or indeed Christianity.’

• —Conrado de Quiros

Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo

“I propose that we seriously examine ourselves: Do I use God to get money, or, do I use money to get towards God? We who so preach to others to share, do we also share?...

I dream of the time that there would be no priest in need because we share with each other.

The gap between the rich and the poor among our people will not be bridged if among us priests, who are configured to Jesus Christ and preach love and sharing, have rich and poor among us.”

CBCP statement (2003)

• ‘Today we point an accusing finger at ourselves…We are aware, too, that in other areas of Church life as in parish financial management, some Church members and leaders, through loose and dishonest stewardship, stray from the path of righteousness and integrity… CBCP “Let Integrity Flow Like a Stream”’ (2003)

National Congresss of the Clergy

SURVEY OF SPIRITUALITY AND LIFESTYLE OF THE CLERGY

1. Indecent lifestyle

2. Factors that weaken

the Church

Indecent Lifestyle

• Material attachment and extravagance (1363) 46.8%

• Sexual relations with women/Homosexual liaison and activities (751) 25.9%

• Habitual recourse to worldly good time, drinking, etc. (309) 10.6%

• Closeness to the rich and powerful/identification with the ruling elite (266) 9.1%

• Air of superiority, ‘bossiness’ and with circle of favorites (214) 7.4%

Factors that Weaken the Institutional Church

• Lack of transparency/honesty in the management of Church resources (1495) 51.4%

• Arrogance and abuse of power (404) 13.9%

• Clerical intrigues and politics that destroy their presbyteral unity (934) 32.1%

Communion and Corruption

“I cannot praise you, for your gatherings are not for the better but for the worse… When you gather together, there are divisions among you. Each one eats at once his own food and while one is hungry, the other is getting drunk… Let each one, then, examine himself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. Otherwise, he eats and drinks his own condemnation.” (1 Cor. 11: 17-29)

Eleventh Synod of Bishops “The Eucharist, Source and Summit of the Life

and Mission of the Church”

“Those who share in the Eucharist must commit themselves to creating peace in our world, which is marked by violence, war and, especially today, by terrorism, economic corruption and sexual exploitation. The conditions for building true peace are the restoration of justice, reconciliation and forgiveness."

Proposition No. 48 (2005)

A Parallel Challenge to Muslims?“The fight against corruption is not a major concern among

Muslim communities, survival is. However, Muslim religious and leaders of civil society in Mindanao have acknowledged corruption as an issue, and are using the strong moral foundation given by Islam to address it” (Rasul, 164).

“Given the general absence of governance where state institutions fail to work, the only alternative is seeking remedies beyond the state, or into the very moral fiber of the people. Religion is where Filipinos, particularly the Muslims, can relate as it is the tie that binds the different ethnic groups of Filipino Muslims together.” (Rasul 2003:162)

Rasul, Amina. 2003. A look at corruption in the ARMM and the role of faith-based organizations in fighting corruption. In Muslim perspective on the Mindanao conflict: The road to peace and reconciliation. Ed. Amina Rasul. Makati City: AIM Policy Center, Asian Institute of Management.

Why religious deterrent hasn’t worked…

“The growth of corruption also results from the fact that individuals and religious institutions such as mosque or church management take little initiative to eradicate corruption. They are more interested in ritual worship rather than "social worship" like corruption elimination and the creation of good governance.”

“Why believers do not shun corruption. Jakarta Post. 8 September 2006.

The Challenge of Corruption in Philippine Education

Slide 1

Catholic SchoolsCatholic Schools

• ‘Many graduates of Catholic schools have been successful economically and politically but they have also contributed to the dismal economic and political imbalances existing in our country’ (Plenary Council of the Philippines II, no. 267)

GovermentBusiness

Church Non-Government

Leaders

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

CORRUPTION

Education and CorruptionEducation and Corruption

…Corruption in education affects more people than corruption in most other sectors and it affects the development potential of

the whole country…

…Corruption in education affects more people than corruption in most other sectors and it affects the development potential of

the whole country…

Possible Areas of Corruption Possible Areas of Corruption in the Schoolin the SchoolEstablishment

of School

ApprovalEmployment

Educational Activities

Curriculum

Library

Textbooks

Uniform

Students

Examinations ReportCard

Teacher & Staff

TaskAllocation

Personnel Matters

WorkTime

DisciplinaryActions

Financial Administration

Requests &Liquidations Appropriations

Taxation

The Overdue Challenge:

Localization of Corruption

The different facets and manifestations of corruption in the campus:

CheatingCheating PlagiarismPlagiarism Cutting classesCutting classes BullyingBullying LoiteringLoitering

loafing loafing bummingbumming tambaytambay

Bribery Bribery StealingStealing VandalismVandalism Habitual Habitual tardiness and tardiness and absencesabsences Faked diplomasFaked diplomas

Campus election fraudsCampus election frauds Deceptive campus election campaignsDeceptive campus election campaigns School funds mismanagementSchool funds mismanagement

annual yearbookannual yearbook school paperschool paper club fundsclub funds

Campus sports anomaliesCampus sports anomalies Rampant solicitationRampant solicitation

• annual yearbookannual yearbook• club t-shirtsclub t-shirts• Christmas partiesChristmas parties• construction of fencesconstruction of fences• field tripsfield trips

Other malpractices and malfeasanceOther malpractices and malfeasance

Slide 17

Bullying Bullying is a is a

seriousseriousmatter!matter!

http://fvdb.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/plagiarist-supreme-http://fvdb.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/plagiarist-supreme-court/court/

Corruption of the FamilyCorruption of the Family

“The singular trademark of graft and corruption in the Philippines, it seems to me, is that our corruption is family-based. Corruption is done through the family, with the family, and in the family. Filipinos are known for strong family ties. Our strong family bonds have been abused and corrupted. It is our sad reality.” (Bishop Socrates Villegas)

The best school is the familyThe best school is the family

“Believe me, when fear of God is brought back to the family, we will be a better nation. When a sense of honor and dignity returns to the home, we will be able to bounce back to moral uprightness. When our passion to preserve our good name is taught again, our youth and children will choose to die rather than sin. When lying and cheating and petty stealing are punished severely at home, society will have less criminals. In a corrupt country, the first victim is the family. The country’s renewal will also begin in the family---by turning to the Holy Family..” (Bishop Socrates Villegas)

Familism as blessingFamilism as blessing

It is a blessing when the whole family support results in stable relationship, healthy sense of identity, moral uprightness, financial safety net, basic form of social organization. The home is a school for sacrifice. Working abroad, sending remittances back home, sending relatives to school, donating to charity work, building churches, helping victims of calamities and war. (adopted from JL)

Familism as a curseFamilism as a curse

When the family thinks only of its members. Charity begins at home, and ends there. Blood is thicker than water. When the whole clan becomes a mechanism for urging, supporting and defending the corrupt. When the clan loses critical thinking, and prevents independent decision-making, as in voting. When it becomes a sanctuary for the looters in society and collaborators in crime. (adopted from JL)

MOVING FORWARDContribution to the Movement toward

Healing for Solidarity

CANADIAN OBLATES OF MARY CANADIAN OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE (1991)IMMACULATE (1991)

• “We apologize for the part we played in the cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious imperialism that was part of the mentality within which the peoples of Europe first met the aboriginal peoples and which consistently has lurked behind the way the Native peoples of Canada have been treated by civil governments and by the Churches. We were, naively, part of this mentality and were, in fact, often a key player in its implementation.”

JOHN PAUL II JOHN PAUL II ON BEHALF OF CELAM (1992)ON BEHALF OF CELAM (1992)

“The prayer of the Redeemer is addressed to the Father and at the same time to those people to whom injustices have been done. We pray to these people incessantly for forgiveness. This prayer of forgiveness is directed above all to the first inhabitants of the new earth, to the Indios and also to those who were deported as slaves from Africa to perform hard labor…this prayer too is part of evangelization.”

Jesuits confession in GC 34: Intuition and alienation

“Our intuition is that the Gospel resonates with what is good in each culture. At the same time, we acknowledge that we have not always followed this intuition.

We have not always recognized that aggression and coercion have no place in the preaching of the Gospel of freedom, especially in cultures which are vulnerable to manipulation by more powerful forces.

We have often contributed to the alienation of the very people we wanted to serve” (90-92)

RECONCILIATION WALK OF ABOUT RECONCILIATION WALK OF ABOUT 2,000 CHRISTIANS TRACING THE ROUTE 2,000 CHRISTIANS TRACING THE ROUTE

OF THE FIRST CRUSADE (1996)OF THE FIRST CRUSADE (1996)

"The Reconciliation Walk is an interdenominational grassroots movement of Western Christians...retracing the route of the First Crusade, apologizing to Muslims, Jews and Eastern Christians for the atrocities of the Crusades -- foremost among them, the misuse of the name and message of Jesus."

MEMORY AND RECONCILIATION: THE MEMORY AND RECONCILIATION: THE CHURCH AND FAULTS OF THE PAST (1999)CHURCH AND FAULTS OF THE PAST (1999)

The document speaks of “the responsibility of Christians for the evils of our time” and specifically mentions “the methods of violence and intolerance used in the past to evangelize.” It quotes from John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, stating that “another sad chapter of history to which the sons and daughters of the Church must return with a spirit of repentance is that of the acquiesence given, especially in certain centuries, to intolerance and even the use of force in the service of truth.”

FRANCISCAN PROVINCE OF SAN FRANCISCAN PROVINCE OF SAN FELIPE DE JESUS TO THE MAYAN FELIPE DE JESUS TO THE MAYAN

PEOPLE (MANI, YUCATAN 2009)PEOPLE (MANI, YUCATAN 2009)

We ask forgiveness of the Mayan people for not having understood your world view and your religion and for having denied your deities; for not having respected your culture and for having imposed upon you for many centuries a religion that you did not understand; for having demonized your religious practices and for having declared in word and writing that they were works of the devil and that your idols were Satan incarnate…

We Friars Minor commit ourselves: To help ourselves and those brothers who will come after us to understand the culture from which we come forth, to promote it, and to incarnate the message of Jesus to the point of having a Mayan Christianity.

Anglican Church to the Natives Anglican Church to the Natives of Canada (1993)of Canada (1993)

“I have felt shame and humiliation as I have heard of suffering inflicted by my people, and as I think of the part our church played in that suffering.

I accept and I confess before God and you, our failures in the residential schools. We failed you. We failed ourselves. We failed God.” –Archbp. Michael Peers, Ontario

Consider Forgiveness Consider Forgiveness as a Political Actas a Political Act

During a number of sessions on clan conflict and interfaith dialogue, forgiveness was mentioned both by Muslims and Christians. While nobody thought it was easy, nobody seems to claim that it was impossible. A few testimonies proved it was necessary.

Testimony of Datu Toto Testimony of Datu Toto PaglasPaglas

As a young boy, he witnessed the murder of his father. He was old enough to remember, but too young to fight. When he grew up, his relatives told him to revenge. But Toto Paglas refused.

Later, his younger brother was killed. Again, he decided not to be like his brother’s murderer. When another brother was killed, his relatives volunteered to take vengeange into their hands.

Toto stopped them, saying that if he killed another person, the family of that person will take another life back, and the cycle will not stop.

From Arms to From Arms to FarmsFarms

“I believe that real peace is in education and livelihood. If people are not educated, then the only pride they have is to own and use a gun. If the people are hungry, they can not think properly; they fight for their family. So I converted our land into a plantation. I hired the members of the family that killed my father and my brothers. Now I can walk even without a body guard. I am at peace.”—Toto Paglas

Role of Catholic InstitutionsRole of Catholic Institutions “The Catholic Church in general and Catholic

educational institutions in particular are weighed down by “baggages” as a repository of confessional and historical biases against Muslims and Lumads.

The success of peace-building programs of Catholic educational institutions must be gauged among others on how they move Christians into admitting that they play a part in the historical marginalization of minority groups and that there can be no just resolution to the Mindanao conflicts without their support.” --- Benny Bacani

“God has blessed our country, not just with thousands of beautiful islands, majestic

mountains, and long stretches of

shores and seas,

but also with wonderful people who have nurtured a rich diversity of cultures and faith traditions, of different ways of celebrating and defending life

and human dignity.

Among this great noble people are the indigenous communities, to whom we owe long overdue

expression of deep gratitude as well as sincere apology.”

SIGN OF PEACESIGN OF PEACE

Lord, Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.

Amen.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Let’s give each other a sign of peace.

WORKSHOP QUESTIONSWORKSHOP QUESTIONS1. What do we reaffirm in the Church’s history, life and

mission, especially to the IPs?

2. What do we regret in our history, attitude and practice in relationship with IPs in our region or country?

3. What are we ready to do now as bishops in the Philippines? (Choose at least two topics.)* Direction of evangelization with the IPs* Journey toward reconciliation* Changes in our formation program* Support for the advocacy of the IPs* Strengthening of the ECIP, IPAs, and related ministries* Drafting a Pastoral Statement on the IPs

RE-AFFIRMATIONRE-AFFIRMATIONWhat do we reaffirm in the Church’s life and mission,

especially to the IPs?

1. Work, witness, scholarship of missionaries

2. Pastoral work of the dioceses with the IPs

3. Humanitarian work responding to their needs

4. Overt preaching of Jesus, direct evangelization

5. Involvement in the education of IPs

6. Shared belief in God, extra-biblical revelation

7. Collaboration of the laity and NGOs

8. Cultural “preservation”

REGRETREGRETWhat do we regret in our history, attitude and practice

in relationship with IPs in our region or country?

1. Lack of understanding; distance from them

2. Loss of writing and other cultural treasures

3. Discriminatory practices and attitudes

4. Failure to stress social teachings of the Church

5. Lack of coordination among Church ministries

6. Pressure on IPs, pushing them afar

7. Acquisition of lands, thru the datus

8. Paternalism and dole-outs

9. Cultural exploitation

READY TO DOREADY TO DO

What are we ready to do now as bishops in the Philippines?

1. Revise our catechesis and evangelization ways

2. Establish IP desks, empowering IP pastoral workers

3. Institutional and financial support for IP ministry

4. Integral evangelization, mission ad gentes

5. Clarify links between ECIP, NASSA, Culture Com

6. Closer collaboration

7. Formation of seminarians on IPA

8. Overt preaching of Jesus, direct evangelization