Light our Lamp amidst the Dark of the Night

 “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.’ (John 1.5)

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente joins the Diocese of Kidapawan in prayers for justice for the killing of Fr. Fausto Tentorio. Fr. Tentorio’s death has brought an irreplaceable loss not only to the Catholic Church but to family of Philippine Churches as well. We share the pain brought by his death and express our indignation over the injustice committed against a priest of God

We are not surprised that the slaying of Fr. Tentorio follows the pattern of extrajudicial killings. He is the 2nd church person who had been killed under the one year old government of President Benigno Aquino III. We strongly believe that Fr. Tentorio - who strongly defended the rights of indigenous peoples, opposed the militarization of tribal communities, and spoke critically about corporate and large-scale mining in North Cotabato - was killed to restrain church people from supporting the poor in their struggle for abundant life.

Fr. Tentorio had lit his lamp in the dark of the night and darkness detested his light. His courageous stand against the marginalization of the poor people and the desecration of our environment at the idolatrous altar of corporate greed of big multinational and transnational companies speaks the heart not only of a priest of God, but of a Filipino patriot. It needs his sacrifice to show us Filipinos our true worth as God’s people and to set us an example that to stand for our human rights and to safeguard our sovereign right as a nation is worth dying for.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente strongly condemns the brutal killing of Fr. Tentorio and the countless acts of violence committed to church people. We specifically and strongly call on President Aquino to immediately take decisive steps to put a stop to political killings and end impunity in the country, and to give justice to the thousands of victims of human rights violations. We also call on all church people to take more courage in the face of this blasphemy against the reverence of human life, and to keep the light of our faith burning amidst the dark of the night for the defense of human life and our rights.

Fr. Fausto Tentorio now shares the same fate of Fr. William Tadena, Bishop Alberto Ramento, and Bro. Benjamin Bayles of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente who were brutally murdered for serving the least of our people. Fr. Tentorio now joins the rank of the fallen martyrs of the Philippine Churches who have lived-out the Gospel of Christ. In their memory and in honor of those other martyrs who did not fear but rather embraced death so others may come to live, we continue to rededicate ourselves to the struggle of God’s people for justice and peace.

† THE MOST REVD EPHRAIM S. FAJUTAGANA

   Obispo Maximo

20^th October 2011