Terror in the Philippines: Catholic Bishops’ message

A powerful explosion at a night market in Davao City on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines killed 14 people and wounded 67 others on Friday night 2 September. Among those who died was a 12-year-old boy and an unidentified woman presumed to be his mother; and a police officer. Most of those hit by the blast that hit Corner Padre Gomez St., Roxas Avenue night market Friday evening were women – including masseuses, food vendors and customers.

There are several hundred Filipinos in Norway originally from Davao City and the greater Davao area.

The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, has released the following message:

«We are in prayerful communion with the Archbishop of Davao and our countrymen in that city. We grieve too over the death of innocent brothers and sisters due to the bombing last night.

Violence shocks us. Acts of terrorism jolt us. When fellowmen die, a part of our humanity dies too. We pray for peace for the dead victims. We pray for healing for the wounded. We pray for strength for the bereaved families. We pray for the restoration of brotherhood and harmony for Davao and for the nation.

Gandhi said: I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

Let not vengeance be our response but peace!

Christ our peace, restore our peace!

+Socrates B. Villegas
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
CBCP President
Sept 3, 2016»

Saturday, Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles offered a memorial Mass for the blast victims at the site of the explosion in the city’s popular night market. In his homily, the archbishop expressed his pain at the death of 14 people, including a pregnant woman and a child.

«Last night, evil came. Barbaric. Very inhuman. Pure innocent lives were lost»,

he said in his homily;

«We can and we must be strong. There are many faiths in Davao. We bring ourselves to the Lord».

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