Philippines: Terrorists strike during Mass

A bomb detonated in the Philippines on Sunday, December 3rd, during a Mass at the Public University of Mindanao, in the city of Marawi. Local sources say that the explosion took the lives of at least four people and left more than 40 injured. The attack was claimed in Islamabad, Pakistan by a group affiliated with the Islamic State.

Terrorists attacked during a Mass marking the first Sunday of Advent. In a statement released after the attack, bishops in the Philippines claimed that the timing of the attack, which has devastated the community, was deliberate.  

The bishops also called for prayers for the dead and wounded. “We pray for the eternal repose of those who have died, and for the healing of those who have been injured. We unite ourselves spiritually with their families and draw strength and consolation from our faith in Christ, who will ‘restore all things to himself, making peace by the blood of his cross (Col. 1:20).’”

During a telephone conversation with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Father Sebastiano D’Ambra, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), stressed that the university often hosts hundreds of Catholics at its Sunday services. “On Sundays, they celebrate in the gymnasium, because the chapel isn’t big enough. I don’t know how many people were there today, but they often have between 300 and 400 Catholics on Sundays. This being the first Sunday of Advent, I am sure many faithful were present.”

A #RedWednesday for the Philippines

“I see this as a very tragic event, because just today, we were beginning the Marawi Week of Peace in the Diocese of Marawi. What was meant to be a week full of positive, peace-building moments has become a time of terror,” the missionary said. 

Authorities have not provided any concrete information on the motives for the attack, although speculation ranges from the war in Gaza to punishment for government fighting local extremist groups. “We have to wait for more information about the perpetrators of the attack, but there is no doubt that Christians were the target,” the Italian missionary told ACN.

Regarding the consequences of the attack, Father D’Ambra warns of the impact of the explosion on the wider Christian population. “What has happened in Marawi is alarming. The university draws Christians from different parts of Mindanao to the city, and  the attack might provoke an exodus of the Catholic minority there. Many families have already urged their children to return to their homelands because of the fear that Christians are feeling,” he added.  

“Just a few days ago, we celebrated #RedWednesday, an ACN initiative that is celebrated across the Philippines and supported by the bishops’ conference. On this day, we remember Christians from all over the world who are persecuted because of their faith. This year, #RedWednesday was very emotional. And who could have guessed that just a few days later, we would experience this violence first-hand?” said Father D’Ambra.The bishops’ statement also recalls #RedWednesday, saying that  “the casualties in the bombing are now counted” among the many who, “for sheer love of their faith, have suffered from violence and persecution around the world.”

Pope Francis also mentioned the attack during the Angelus prayer in Rome. He said, “I wish to assure my prayer for the victims of the attack that occurred this morning in the Philippines, where a bomb exploded during Mass. I am close to the families and the people of Mindanao, who have already suffered so much.”

Increase in violence and persecution

Though 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholic, the Island of Mindanao, where the city of Marawi is located, is overwhelmingly Muslim. Christians make up only two percent of the population, and Marawi specifically is home to 35,000 Catholics.

The Christian minority in Mindanao has suffered a number of attacks. Several radical armed groups operate in the region, almost all of which are connected to the Islamic State of East Asia, such as Abu Sayyaf or Dawlah Islamiyah, which has been linked to the recent bombing.

In 2017, Marawi suffered a siege that lasted months and caused many deaths. At the time, Father D’Ambra explained that international Islamist groups had recently emerged in the Philippines, with the goal of attracting a new generation. Both the ideology they espouse and the money they offer have proven to be tools for enlisting new fighters.

With 40 years of experience in the Philippines, Father D’Ambra is the founder of the Silsilah movement, which has promoted interreligious dialogue since 1984. ACN is a long-time partner on the project. “Episodes such as this one in Marawi only worsen an already complicated situation and make it more difficult to promote interreligious dialogue. These are new challenges, and they make our work as important now as it was in the beginning,” Father D’Ambra concluded.

—Maria Lozano