Human rights abuses still a concern to Filipino church leaders
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The Rev. Larry Pickens |
Aug. 2, 2006
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
Human rights abuses remain a concern for
faith leaders in the Philippines, according to a United Methodist church
executive.
The Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission
on Christian Unity, met with ecumenical leaders, including those from the
United Church of Christ and Pentecostal churches, during a July 25-28 visit
to Mindanao, Philippines.
The leaders shared with him the most recent list of church workers, both
laity and clergy, assassinated over the past three years, Pickens said.
Support from international groups -- including United Methodist delegations,
the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia -- has
been helpful in raising the "visibility" of the human rights problem.
"The hope is that as church groups continue to put the pressure on their
governments to push the Philippine administration, that will have a positive
effect," he said.
In early January, Pickens was part of a United Methodist delegation to the
Philippines that called upon President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take a
more aggressive role to stop the killing of clergy, laity, journalists and
human rights workers who help the poor.
Bishop John Hopkins, head of the delegation, told a Jan. 6 news conference
in Manila, "The killing must stop." The delegation heard first-hand
testimony from more than 20 victims and surviving family members from many
parts of the Philippines, who described the pain and suffering exacted
through murders targeting religious and community workers.
"Our people are not armed,” the bishop said at the press conference.
"They teach, provide medical care, counsel and educate. We implore the
government and military officials to recognize the important work of those
who seek to minister with the poor and marginalized, and to distinguish
their work as vital and important to the country and its people."
Pickens also visited United Methodist and United Church of Christ sites with
Jonathan Ulanday, a director of the Commission on Christian Unity and
assistant to Bishop Leo Soriano, based in Kidapawan City. Soriano was in
South Korea at the time.
Pickens was impressed by the interfaith cooperation on Mindanao.
"The church
is able to function in what is a very heavily populated Muslim setting," he
said. "I think there generally has been peaceful co-existence between the
Christian community and the Muslim community."
Pickens said the Commission on Christian Unity would investigate the
possibility of an interfaith summit for the denomination to consider ways in
which the church can address interfaith relationships in various countries
and "be in dialogue and community with brothers and sisters in other faith
contexts."
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.
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