Mindanao churches overflowing at Christmas, a sign of hope for peace with Muslim rebels
Zamboanga (AsiaNews) - In predominantly Muslim Mindanao, Christmas drew huge crowds to local churches, including many young people. After many years, for the first time celebrations were held without fears of attacks from Muslim extremists. This was made possible by a major agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed on 15 November in Manila.
Fr Giulio Mariani, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in Zamboanga, told AsiaNews that thousands of people gathered in local churches for Midnight Mass. "We had not seen so many people for years, especially young people."
For the clergyman, this is a sign of hope for an island troubled by violence and hatred, after a 40-year war between the Filipino military and Muslim rebels.
The birth of Jesus and New Year celebrations are popular in the Philippines, Fr Mariani explained. Residents and municipal authorities will spend a lot on decorating places of worship, homes, public buildings and streets. "Even in Zamboanga, where Muslims and Christians live side by side, everyone shared in the atmosphere of happiness and joy."
In his annual address to the diplomatic corps, the pope cited Mindanao as an example of the usefulness of dialogue for interfaith coexistence despite divisions.
Benedict XVI's praise highlights the role of the Filipino Church and missionaries. For decades, they have led the way in helping various communities to fight the biases, fears and hatreds that divide Christians, Muslims and members of other religions.
For Angel Calvo, a Claretian missionary who has lived in the Philippines for 40 years and is a member of the Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace in Zamboanga, the historic agreement, which could lead to an overall settlement in 2015, would not have been possible without interaction between Muslim and Christian leaders.
"The quality of relationship shows during important celebrations like Christmas," he said. "This year, various families from our group shared the holiday with their Muslim friends. Only a small number are involved but they show that interfaith dialogue is possible even from a spiritual point of view."
In recent years, the Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace and Silsilah, an inter-faith group for dialogue established by Fr Sebastiano d'Ambra (PIME), worked alongside the more political talks, setting up educational programmes for youth to promote mutual understanding.
One initiative is the Mindanao Week of Peace. Held in mid-November in Zamboanga, the event brings together thousands of people each year from various religious backgrounds to debate and discuss and work together on how to promote a culture of dialogue, starting from the Christian values of peace and harmony, which are also shared by Islam.
The event, which ends with a march through the city's streets, attracted more than 40,000 people last year.
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