Sorry to REMASE

For the past three years or so I have been teaching twice a week, Wednesday and Friday, a one-hour course for the Fourth Year Theology students of the Regional Major Seminary or REMASE here in Davao City.

This year I have to say, Sorry to REMASE!

I really enjoyed teaching this course face-to-face. But this is difficult these days for seniors. The pandemic situation, a sorry situation indeed, has forced the City to impose many restrictions for the sake of the common good.

Fr. Maximo Campo, the Dean of Studies, for brevity’s sake, had always scheduled CAPALLA as teacher of ISLAM! This is not quite correct and clear. It needs an explanation which I make at the beginning of class.

Islam can be understood as the name of the religion founded by Prophet Mohammad and can be taught as an academic subject in the science of history. The name Islam can also refer to the religious belief of Muslims, followers of Prophet Mohammad. It is also known a personal faith in Allah.

It is easily possible for a non-Muslim like me to teach Islam as an academic subject. But it is not possible for me to teach Islam as a personal relationship with the God of Muslims.

In teaching Islam as an academic course I use books and personal experiences of Catholic authors respected by Muslims in authority. I also share my personal relationship as a friend of Muslims and co-founder with Dr. Mahid Mutilan of the Bishops-Ulama Conference. He was the only Filipino Muslim with a doctorate degree in Islamic theology from Al-Azhar University in Cairo.