“What to you in Mindanao is Pope Francis?”

This was the question asked me in an email by Rev. Fr./Dr. Francis Xavier D’ Sa, S.J., a   theologian from Pune, India. His is an expert on Hinduism and on the theology of interfaith  dialogue. He has been to Davao City several times invited by the Bishops-Ulama Conference.

My rather quick reply was to say that the substance of what Pope Francis has been saying and doing in the first months as pope has been said and done in Mindanao since the early 1970’s. Which has made Mindanao, that is, being Church in this region different in many ways from the way Luzon and Visayas are being Church in these areas.

First, abject poverty is the situation of thousands of people in Mindanao. This is so mainly because Mindanao, to use Pope Francis’ language, is in the “periphery” of “imperial Manila”. Second, in Mindanao there is never a dull moment referring to constant bombings, communist New People’s Army and military/police encounters, Moro rebel movements and kidnap-for-ransom bandits.

Third, these two factors account for the way Church people – bishops, clergy and laity – live their faith or the style of their life of faith.

Main indicators of the different ways of living the faith here are the Basic Ecclesial Communities, Mindanao-Sulo Pastoral Conference(MSPC), Bishops-Ulama Conference(BUC), Silsilah Dialogue Movement, MSPC Youth, and Bishops-Ulama-Priests-Farmers-Lumad Conference(BUPFALUC), and unknown and unpublished missionaries, catechists, and church-based groups immersed with the poorest of  the poor and the marginalized.

In stark contrast what Pope Francis has been criticizing is slowly being visible in the life of a few among Church leaders, consecrated persons, secular priests, seminarians, lay leaders in ecclesial movements  and prayer groups. This is the seeming and growing addiction to affluent, rich, elegant, superfluous, state-of-the arts and sophisticated modern and hi-tech gadgets. To them the Cross and the Crucified Lord seems to be less a symbol of humility, simplicity, frugality, detachment, self-effacement and self-sacrifice.  And there are Catholics who don’t like what the Holy Father is saying and doing, even oppose and criticize him openly and vehemently, even question the pectoral cross he is wearing.

On February 22 we celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Peter. This is a reminder and call to renew our love, loyalty, reverence and respect for the Holy Father, the Successor of St. Peter the first pope. I suggest the reader also reads and reflects on today’s article on the Chair of Peter of Ðavao Catholic Herald.