OF COURSE, as a Catholic Christian, I attend Sunday mass. The only question is where and what time.
It used to be at the St. Jude Thaddeus Parish and Diocesan Shrine in Alijis and occasionally at the St. Sebastian Cathedral and Sacred Heart Parish Church at the Lupit Seminary. I now hear the anticipated Sunday mass since the charismatic community holds The Feast Saturday at the SMX and the Ayala Central Mall.
Nothing to get excited. Not even this is newsworthy.
Oops, maybe I got that wrong. Going to attend Sunday mass might be good for the soul but dangerous to the body.
According to Monday’s (January 28) tally by the Philippine National Police (PNP), this is the breakdown of victims: 20 dead 14 civilians, five soldiers, one Philippine Coast Guard personnel.
Then there are the 112 injured composed mostly of 90 civilian worshippers, 18 soldiers, two from the PNP and PCG personnel.
The intentions of the terrorists are to dissuade the Catholics and other Christians to worship God. The second is to create discord between Christians and Muslims.
The Islamic State jihadists bragged on its authorship of the attack, but the police and military are still verifying the international terror group’s claim, given its terrorist agenda.
Well, this is one Catholic that will not be dissuaded from hearing Holy Mass.
And nowhere will these terrorists convince me to treat Sultan Maguid Maruhom of Pagadian, and human rights defender Bobby Benito. Indonesian Hussei Faisal whom I fondly call my brother, fellow human rights defender Iraqi doctor Maha Alsakban who has been friendly with Iraqi Christians.
No, to attend mass or befriending the majority of Muslims are acts of defiance against terrorism who call themselves the holy warriors of Islam. As my friends would say, there is nothing Islamic about them.
To quote statement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines: As we begin a new phase in the peace process with the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), we ask our Christian brethren to join hands with all peace-loving Muslim and Indigenous People communities in the advocacy against violent extremism.
May all our religions of peace guide us in our quest for a brighter future for the peoples of Mindanao.
(bqsanc@yahoomail.com)