The Catholic Leader - 22 April

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The Catholic Leader, April 22, 2018
News
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ARCHDIOCESE OF BRISBANE
A 71-YEAR-old Australian missionary sister has
been detained by authorities in the Philippines,
after taking part in a human rights fact-finding
mission in the country’s troubled south.
Sister Patricia Fox, mother superior of the Our
Lady of Sion congregation in the Philippines,
faced deportation, after she was taken from her
mission house in Quezon City and brought to the
immigration bureau in Manila for questioning on
April 16.
After working in the country for 27 years help-
ing impoverished farmers and indigenous peoples,
Sr Fox recently joined an international fact-finding
and solidarity mission that investigated alleged
rights abuses against farmers in the southern Mind-
anao province.
“I’ve been in and out of the country several
times but I’ve never been questioned,” Sr Fox told
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
“The immigration bureau has not said anything
on what to do with my missionary visa.”
Human rights advocates and church leaders in-
cluding Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo
raised the alarm over Sr Fox’s arrest.
He visited the nun after she was taken for ques-
tioning at the Bureau of Immigration, and said her
arrest may be part of a crackdown against govern-
ment’s critics.
“There’s no martial law yet but they are already
going after people who oppose them,” Bishop
Pabillo said.
In December last year, a retired priest and known
human rights advocate was killed in Jaen, Nueva
Ecija province.
Fr Marcelito Paez, 72, was gunned down by still
unidentified men after he facilitated the release of a
political prisoner.
The Sisters of Sion have a presence in Sydney
and Mildura and in eight Melbourne suburbs.
In 1990 two Australian Sisters founded Sion in
the Philippines.
The community has six members.
An international Congregation, the Sisters have a
presence in 22 countries. – Mark Bowling
Detained: Sister Patricia Fox.
Australian religious Sr Patricia Fox detained in the Philippines
SHARPLY criticising a failure to
find nonviolent means of bringing
peace to Syria and other parts of
the world, Pope Francis appealed to
world leaders to work for justice and
peace.
“I am deeply disturbed by the current world
situation, in which, despite the instruments avail-
able to international community, it struggles to
agree on joint action in favour of peace in Syria
and other regions of the world,” he said after
praying the Regina Coeli with people gathered in
St Peter’s Square on April 15.
“While I unceasingly pray for peace and invite
all people of good will to keep doing the same, I
appeal once again to all political leaders so that
justice and peace may prevail.”
The Pope’s appeal came after the United
States, France and the United Kingdom launched
missiles on Syria on April 13, targeting sites in-
tended to weaken the nation’s chemical weapons
capability. The missile strikes came one week
after an alleged chemical attack in the Ghouta
region, outside Damascus.
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
telephoned Pope Francis after the missile attack,
he told reporters on April 15 at his house outside
of Moscow.
“We shared the common concern about the
situation in Syria, and we talked about how
Christians should influence this situation to stop
violence, war and so many tragic victims as we
have seen in these days,” he said.
The patriarchate launched an initiative to unite
Christian leaders from the East and West to
promote peace and prevent a humanitarian crisis
in Syria, Father Aleksandr Volkov, spokesman
for the Russian patriarchate, said.
Christians “cannot be silent when things like
those of these days are taking place in Syria,”
Patriarch Kirill said.
The Syrian Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs
of Syria also publicly condemned the “brutal
aggression” of the US-led allied missile attack
and called upon all churches in the countries that
participated to likewise condemn the attack and
urge their governments to work toward interna-
tional peace.
In a statement issued from the Syrian capital
of Damascus – the patriarchal seats of their
respective churches – the patriarchs said they
“condemn and denounce the brutal aggression
that took place this morning against our precious
country Syria by the USA, France and the UK,
under the allegations that the Syrian government
has used chemical weapons.”
The statement was signed by Melkite Catholic
Patriarch Joseph Absi; Syriac Orthodox Patri-
arch Ignatius Aphrem II and Greek Orthodox
Patriarch John.
The brother of Patriarch John X – Greek
Orthodox Metropolitan Boulos Yazii – is one of
two bishops who were kidnapped near the Syrian
city of Aleppo April 22, 2013, and whose fate is
still unknown.
CNS
Pope, Christian leaders condemn use of violence against Syria
Appeal for lasting peace
Plea for peace: Internally displaced Syrians at a camp outside Damascus. The United States, France and Britain launched airstrikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for an apparent chemi-
cal attack against civilians and to deter him from doing it again. Photo: CNS