TAYO-TAYO MUNA! Intrafaith Conversation among Catholics in the Service of Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims and Lumads

1. TAYO-TAYO MUNA!Intrafaith Conversation among Catholics in the Service of Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims and LumadsAlbert E. Alejo, SJ

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

3. 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.”

4. Asking for Forgiveness for the Sins Against Indigenous Peoples • Why now? Where is this coming from? • Saying sorry for what, exactly? To whom? • Who is in a position to say sorry? Who is supposed to say “It’s okay na!”? • What about justice? • What is the best way of expressing sorry? How do we know we are forgiven? • How do we move forward?

5. CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE Effects of Colonialism (Excerpts from J. de Mesa)

6. COLONIZER COLONIZED RESULTING CULTURAL CONDITION IF YOU WANT PROGRESS, LEARN OUR WAYS. THEY’RE THE BEST! I MUST LEARN THEIR WAYS AND FORGET OURS.

7. “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.” Francisco Gainza, O.P., Bishop of Nueva Caceres

8. 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.” CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NATIVES: 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.

9. 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.

10. CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE Intrafaith Process in the Service of Interfaith Dialogue

11. Trigger:How do religions get 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?

12. Could it be the link between religion, culture, and 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.

13. We need to engage in Intra-Faith Dialogue 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.”

14. Bishops-Ulama Conference, 35th General Assembly, Jolo, Sulu, November 18-21, 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.

15. Religions in the Philippines 84 million Philippine population Catholic Church = 83% Other Christians = 9% Muslims = 5 % Indigenous and other Religious Traditions = 3% Source: www.nationmaster.com

16. Mindanao Population • 18 Indigenous groups 8.9% • 13 Islamized tribes 18.5% • “Kristiyanos”/ “settlers” 72.5%

17. Public Land Law and Resettlement

18. Resettlement: Case of Cotabato 1918 census

19. 1939 census

20. 1970 census

21. COTABATO 1918 CENSUS

22. COTABATO 1939 CENSUS

23. POPULATION CHANGE IN COTABATO 1918-1970

24. Mindanao Population • 18 Indigenous groups 8.9% • 13 Islamized tribes 18.5% • “Kristiyanos”/ “settlers” 72.5%

25. Challenging “Majority-Minority” Habit of Thinking • The majority now has not been the majority in the beginning. • Christians form the majority in the Philippines, but we are minority in the rest of Asia. • While Christians feel we are the majority in the country, actually, in some places like Basilan, Christians are a minority.

26. CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE Corruption as Violence

27. Warning: Corruption as Violence 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.

28. Post-conflict Corruption, 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.

29. 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

30. 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.”

31. 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)

32. National Congresss of the Clergy SURVEY OF SPIRITUALITY AND LIFESTYLE OF THE CLERGY 1. Indecent lifestyle 2. Factors that weaken the Church

33. 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%

34. 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%

35. 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)

36. 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)

37. 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.

38. 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.

42. Slide 1 The Challenge of Corruption in Philippine Education

43. Catholic 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)

44. Education and Corruption Goverment Church Non-Government Business Leaders …Corruption in education affects more people than corruption in most other sectors and it affects the development potential of the whole country… EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CORRUPTION

45. Possible Areas of Corruption in the School Establishment of School Educational Activities Library Uniform Approval Employment Curriculum Textbooks Financial Administration Taxation Requests & Liquidations Appropriations Disciplinary Actions Students Work Time Examinations Teacher & Staff Report Card Task Allocation Personnel Matters

46. The Overdue Challenge: Localization of Corruption Slide 17 The different facets and manifestations of corruption in the campus:

47. Bullying is a serious matter!

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

49. Corruption 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)

50. The 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)