MILF leaders invited Pope Francis to Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines – Inspired by Pope Francis’ visit to the Middle East, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) wanted him to visit Cotabato City in Mindanao during his Philippine trip.

On RapplerTalk on Tuesday, January 13, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo said the former Muslim rebel group invited Pope Francis via a letter sent through Quevedo.  

“There’s a lot of expectation with regard to the visit of the Holy Father because of the visit of the Holy Father to Israel and Palestine. They read about him. They saw his pictures with the two leaders of Israel and Palestine. They saw him go to this big wall that was built by Israel to separate Palestine. I think it was not in the script. He went down and went to visit,” said Quevedo, the first cardinal from Mindanao. 

“Because of that, many of the leaders of the MILF wanted him to visit Cotabato,” he added.

Quevedo endorsed the letter of invitation with a cover letter and sent it to the papal nuncio, which he said he was sure the Nuncio sent to Rome. 

However, the visiting team of Vatican officials in the Philippines told him that Francis did not have enough time to visit Cotabato.

During the papal visit to Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel in May 2014, Pope Francis made a surprise stop in the West Bank. He also invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to a prayer summit in the Vatican. (READ: Pope of the fringers: Francis as pilgrim-diplomat) 

Pope knows Mindanao

It would have been a great opportunity for the Pope to visit Mindanao, where majority of the Muslims in the Philippines live, Quevedo said. 

“Sayang (It’s wasted opportunity), but I understand that his visit is mainly for Tacloban, Yolanda victims,” Quevedo said. 

“There are also victims from (Typhoon) Pablo, Sendong, the Zamboanga siege, the war – the intermittent rebellion that has caused 150,000 lives in the past years. But I understand that he had no time for it but he is very interested,” Quevedo said. 

In a press conference on Saturday, January 10, MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim told reporters the group welcomes Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines. 

He said the MILF, which recently signed a peace agreement with the Aquino government, hopes the Pope would mention the ongoing peace process in Mindanao during his inter-faith dialogue with religious leaders. 

If the conversation between Quevedo and Pope Francis during Quevedo’s appointment as a cardinal in February 2014 is any indication, one can expect the Pope to put peace in his Philippine agenda. 

“When I received the red hat, people were wondering why I spent a lot of time kneeling before him, whispering to him. There were two messages that were very important. (He told me) ‘I will pray for peace in Mindanao. I will pray for a harmonious relationship between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao.’ And it did not come from me,” Quevedo said. 

He added: “Probably he was briefed about where I’m coming from and what’s the problem so that was his message. And people wondered why he spent a few more seconds longer. So he knows Mindanao. He knows the problems of Mindanao. I suppose it was part of the Nuncio’s job to inform the Pope about things happening in his country.”

Pope Francis will be in the Philippines from January 15 to January 19. He will spend most of his time in Manila, except for January 17, when he flies to Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte. (READ: Metro Manila: Routes, rules for #PopeFrancisPH) – Rappler.com