Front line mission in the Philippines

Oblate missionary Fr Roberto Laysan is from the Philippines and works in the majority Muslim area of Mindanao, a region that has been plagued by conflict since the early 1970's, with government troops battling Muslim rebels seeking independence for their ancestral lands. Four of his confreres there have been murdered, including Bishop Benjamin de Jesus with whom he had worked closely for almost a decade.
Following that assassination, Fr Roberto asked to be transferred away from Jolo, feeling a growing hatred for Muslims whom he held responsible for the killing of his friend and mentor. Moved to an evacuation centre for families fleeing the fighting, he met many Muslim and Christian parents mourning the deaths of their sons, soldiers and rebels whom he describes as 'both victims of circumstance in this senseless civil war'.
"When you hear the sounds of mothers and children weeping in the night, you no longer ask whether they are Muslim or Christian," he says, unable to contain his emotions at the memory..

LIsten......

Today Fr Roberto works as a mediator between the government and rebel groups, bringing people around the table for peace seminars. He has also helped to set up 'peace zones' for families caught in the crossfire and a 'ceasefire watch' to monitor violations and support the work of international negotiating teams. He is optimistic that both sides now recognise they will never achieve their goals through military means but believes Church leaders could do more to promote a culture of peace and reconciliation among local people and politicians. What hurts him most of all is the recollection of those who have failed to understand his mission of interfaith dialogue in action.....