Makeni (AsiaNews) - True to his vocation, a Filipino
missionary in Sierra Leone - one of the three African countries most affected by
the Ebola virus - refuses to return home and save himself from possible infection
because a "good shepherd" never abandons his sheep to the mercy of
the wolves. "I'll stay in Sierra Leone. I am still convinced that this is
not the time to leave the country," said Fr. Anthony Patrick S. Santianez,
in a post on the social networking site Facebook. The Xaverian priest, a native
of Calbayog, Samar province, leaves no room for doubt or uncertainty,
confirming to everyone that he is ready to die for his mission.
The good shepherd, says the Filipino priest (pictured), "lays down his life
for his sheep, if necessary"; this is why he does not intend to respond to
the
appeal launched by the government in Manila, asking all fellow citizens
in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to leave the area and return to the
Philippines. "My response - he says - is and will always be no."
Fr. Anthony, as he has already said many times in the past, fears for his
health and life, but does not intend to abandon his parishioners to their fate,
especially at this time of great need. Speaking to CbcpNews he added that for a
moment, he had thought to return, but a "touching petition" from one
of his "sheep" prompted him to change his mind.
According to the priest, who first arrived in the African country on June 24,
2008, having completed his theological studies at the University of Manila, the
Ebola outbreak is a good opportunity to bear witness and show solidarity with
the local population. "I was also surprised by my mother's phone call - adds
Fr. Anthony - who asked me to stay here. I knew it was the voice of God speaking
through my mother."
Vice-rector of the church of St. Guido Maria Conforti in Makine, the missionary
administers the sacraments, teaching catechism and visiting individuals and
families throughout the diocese. And from Sierra Leone, he asks his fellow
citizens in the Philippines' only for prayer, "the real source of comfort
and concrete means to address and overcome difficulties.
Ebola is a virus that causes very aggressive hemorrhagic fevers and has
a very high mortality rate; the current strain has an incidence of around 70%,
but can reach up to 90%. So far it has killed 4,922 people, but the real figure
could be even higher. The first case of infection occurred last February in
Guinea, and then spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. It is spread by contact
with blood and body fluids of infected persons. There is no effective treatment
and the epidemic of recent months has prompted the World Health Organization
(WHO) to declare it an international emergency.