His days as hostage of Muslim rebels last year highlighted the difficulties of Fr. Des Hartford’s mission reconciliation.

On 7 November last, Fr. Des Hartford, Apostolic Administrator of Marawi in the Philippines, was released by his captors and walked for two hours through the forest of Mindanao to freedom. His ordeal began eleven days previously when he was abducted by former members of the Moro National Liberation Front. By their action they hoped to bring pressure on the government of the Philippines to fulfill promises made when an amnesty was signed some years ago. Fr. Hartford, who has worked for almost thirty years in the promotion of peace in this conflict area, represents the Catholic bishops on the Mindanao Tripartite Commission for dialogue.

During his captivity Fr. Des, one of six Catholic foreign missionaries to be kidnapped since 1991, was frequently moved from one location to another through swamps and forests and occasionally had to sleep open. On occasions, he, with his guars, had to flee from other armed gangs who wanted to take him prisoner fro their own purpose.

After his release Fr. Hartford emphasized, “I have many Muslims friends, and those friendships have in no way been diminished by what happened.” He visited Philippines President Fidel Ramos to thank him for respecting the appeal of Church leaders not to attempt a military solution to his kidnap. The President assured him that the conditions promised to the former rebels would be respected when some conditions had been fulfilled.

A reported asked Fr. Des if, during his captivity, he had ever thought of making a run for it. He replied that any temptation in this direction disappeared when he saw one of his guards shoot a bird (for dinner) through the neck at about 30 meters range.

About 40 Columban priests, sisters, and lay missionaries work in Mindanao, which has a population of approximately 17 million.

INQUIRER EDITORIAL

We don’t know much about the personal background of the missionary priest. A few things here and there; 54 years old; since 1991 Apostolic Administrator and acting bishops of the prelature in Marawi City, the heartland of the Muslim faith in the country; speaks the Maranaw language; native of Dublin, Ireland.

Tangkal, Lanao del Norte, where Hartford was held for almost eleven days, is as far as one can get from the city James Joyce made famous. This is the whole point of mission work, to go out into the world, as Christ commanded the first apostles, to spread the good news of salvation. Not to preach it as much as to make flesh the teaching of Christ, to embody the goodness of his humanity.

Historically, the Muslim have been particularly resistant to Christianity. Missionaries like Fr. Hartford toil in the vineyards of Mindanao by building on spiritual and cultural commonalities with the Muslims. Something Hartford said after his release indicates he had certainly established bonds with the Muslims. He spoke of his ‘un-islamic’ abductors betraying his trust... Invited my Muslim friends to a meeting he was instead taken captive, the personal betrayal made it ‘a very painful experience,’ he said, beyond, we suspect the hunger, the weariness, the uncertainty of his life-threatening situation.

Apart from the personal hurt, Hartford doesn’t blame his abductors and their religion. Instead he reminds the government to fully implement the rebel-returnee program. Failure to do so constitutes an injustice, a major reason for continued unrest between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu. And Hartford plugged for continued networking between Muslim and Christians ‘to build lasting peace here in Mindanao and Sulu, that is based on justice, truth and love.’

Christians and Muslim don’t come any finer.

 

A Note of Thanks

Greetings from Marawi!
This is just a short note to thank you, the readers of Misyon and the people of the Philippines in general for your support for a while I was taken hostage, I was aware of being greatly strengthened by the power of God and I attribute this to the prayers of the people like yourselves. So I would just like to say thanks to all of you and thanks to God as the psalm says, “I thank you Lord because you heard me when I cried to you”

May God Bless you.

Signed: Msgr, Des Hartford