A petition for the release of Fr. Bossi
Manila (AsiaNews) – Tomas Concepcion, a Philippine artist who has lived in Rome for many years, has returned to his native country to promote a petition among Christians and Muslims for the release of Fr. Giancarlo Bossy, the PIME missionary kidnapped in Payao June 10th. “Through my works, - said the 74 year old artist, forced into a wheelchair following a hip operation - I hope to cross the boundaries of religion for a unique cause, to promote unity”. “I don’t know if I can accomplish much, but I think every little effort to obtain Fr. Bossi’s release should help”.
Tomas Concepcion, a labour sector representative in the House of Representatives during the administration of former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, maintains that the large Philippine community in Italy should “exert pressure on the Muslims” to safeguard the health and well being of the PIME missionary, who has always cared for and respected the Islamic community and he repeats that all Philippines are “very concerned” about the fate of Fr. Bossi.
Concepcion said that while he and Bossi did not meet despite his almost five decades in Italy, he had felt compelled to lend his creativity to the Philippine government’s efforts to rescue the priest.He said the portrait, measuring 80 by 100 centimetres, was his “artistic expression laced with social responsibility”. Using a photograph of Bossi that he had clipped from an Italian newspaper, Concepcion worked on the portrait for eight hours on Monday night using felt-tip pens in sepia and black. “He’s given his life to these people. He’s worked a lot for Muslims and Christians – continues the artist who has returned to his country for a series of lectures in Davao University - I think this man deserves all our support and every effort to secure his release”. The artist said Fr Bossi’s portrait would be attached to a larger, separate canvas on which supporters of his planned interfaith movement could affix their signatures. “The main aim of this work – concludes conclude Tomas Concepcion, whose lineage is said to trace back to Muslim royalty – is to allow Christians and Muslims to express their collective indignation for the kidnapping and their communal outpouring of hope that Fr Bossi’s captors will release him as soon as possible”.
Among other things, he is the only Philippine artist to have ever made sculptures of two popes - of Paul VI (currently at the Vatican University) and of John Paul II (currently in Guam, a gift from the Vatican). He has also made a 2-meter bronze statue of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose assassination on August 21, 1983, triggered the beginning of the end of the Marcos dictatorship.
.png)
