Philippine Diary: Five Days in Zamboanga

Land of Hope for Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Q U I C K S C A N

The inspiring approach of CFCA
A meeting with Fatima Kissaie
Bob Hentzen, CFCA President
An interview with Maribel Mandi

	Seaside dwellings on stilts are a familiar sight around Zamboanga City. (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.)

Mindanao is the second largest and southernmost (large) island of the Philippines, and Zamboanga City sits on the southwestern tip of Mindanao. It is the principal city of a whole peninsula that bears the name Zamboanga. The city is sometimes known as the “City of Flowers” or the “City of Romance.” But I will always remember this part of Zamboanga as the “Land of Hope for Christian-Muslim Dialogue.”

Here’s how my visit to Zamboanga, Philippines (Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2008), came about. In March of 2007, I stopped by the exhibit of the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) at the annual Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, Calif. During what I thought was just a bit of “small talk,” I asked the attendant at the booth if the CFCA ever invited journalists on trips to the Philippines to report on their work there. When the attendant said, “We have a trip coming up in January of 2008, and it will focus on Christian-Muslim relations,” my ears suddenly perked up.

Three things in particular prompted me to listen very attentively. First, I had taught for three years (1969-1972) at a Franciscan seminary near Manila and had never returned for a visit. Second, I was seriously interested in Islam and Muslim-Christian dialogue, and over the years had often written on these topics for St. Anthony Messenger. Third, I had gone on four trips with CFCA in Latin America and had come to value the spirit and mission of this organization.

The inspiring approach of CFCA

I had not read the CFCA mission statement for some time, and I was pleased to read it more carefully on this occasion. These ideas in particular appealed to me: “CFCA’s mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world. We invite people of good will to live in daily solidarity with the world’s poor through one-to-one sponsorship. We build community by fostering relationships of mutual respect … that are culturally diverse, empowering and without … prejudice.”

CFCA is a lay Catholic organization working with people of all faith traditions to bring about a global community of compassion and service. Founded in 1981 and based in Kansas City, Kan., CFCA now includes more than 310,000 sponsored members in 25 countries. Several of these points seemed ready-made for promoting Christian-Muslim dialogue. So I told CFCA I was interested in their trip, and they invited me to come with them to Zamboanga.

A meeting with Fatima Kissaie

	Fatima (right) sits with her mother, Zanaida (holding Raihana), and her father, Abuthalive. (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.)

Because of my interest in Muslim-Christian dialogue, the CFCA staff in Zamboanga suggested that I talk with Fatima, a 15-year-old Muslim girl from Zamboanga. Fatima was very outgoing, articulate and gracious. She is a CFCA-sponsored child (by a person in the United States), and she is pleased with the way her American sponsor and CFCA staff members in Zamboanga support her in her Muslim faith.

 “I know a lot of Christian prayers,” she told me, “like the ‘Hail Mary’ and the ‘Our Father.’” She said that at Christmas time she went to Christmas Mass with her Christian grandmother who lives in another city. Like other Muslims, Fatima reveres Jesus as a prophet, though without accepting his divinity. Her mother, Zenaida, became a Muslim when she married Fatima’s father, who is a Muslim. Intermarriage between Christians and Muslims is fairly common in Mindanao.

Bob Hentzen, CFCA President

	Bob and Cristina Hentzen with Shaima, their sponsored child. (Photo by Monte Mace)

Bob Hentzen, president of CFCA, and his wife, Cristina, were traveling with the Christian Foundation in Zamboanga. At the same time I was visiting with Fatima and her family, the Hentzens were meeting in another location with their 9-year-old sponsored child, Shaima, whose whole family is Muslim, including her mother, Jean, father, Abbas, and seven brothers and sisters.

An important part of CFCA’s purpose, says Hentzen, is “to create community and bring people together.” He sees this happening through the individuals and families who make up the CFCA community. The 72-year-old CFCA president is seldom seen without his guitar, which in his hands often becomes an instrument that brings people together in joy. A big part of CFCA’s plan in Zamboanga was to organize a big outdoor concert that would draw diverse peoples together into a community of mutual respect and love despite religious and cultural differences.

An interview with Maribel Mandi

	Maribel Mandi (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.)

Maribel Mandi is the project coordinator of the CFCA office in Zamboanga. She gave me these figures regarding sponsored children under her care. Approximately 5% of these children are Muslims, while something like 92% are Christian. “More than 100 Muslim children are CFCA members, and many more are applying,” she says.

For nearly 20 years, Maribel, a Catholic, has been married to Wilfrido Mandi. Her husband was originally Muslim, the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother. He has since become Catholic. His grandfather was Muslim and the director of Muslim Affairs of Zamboanga. Among their relatives are both Christians and Muslims; they are accustomed to having respect for each other’s beliefs and practices. “It’s normal to have misunderstandings at times,” Maribel says, “but our respect for one another is strong and genuine.”

	The concert attracts thousands. (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.)

“The CFCA,” says Maribel, “wants to bring people together, whether they be Christian, Muslim or from other faiths. And the great outdoor concert we just experienced (Jan. 30, 2008) really brought us together and helped us grow in respect for each other.” The concert drew together some 7,000 to 10,000 people, estimated Maribel, and “was the largest musical event in Zamboangan history.” 

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(You can find more information about Christian Foundation for Children and Aging at cfcausa.org. A preview of a documentary about the CFCA concert can be viewed at zamboangathemovie.com.)

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(An expanded version of this article will appear in an upcoming issue of St. Anthony Messenger.)

Friar Jim’s Inbox

Readers respond to Friar Jim’s “Catechism Quiz: Peter, the Failure Only Jesus Could Love.”

Dear Friar Jim: What a great article on St. Peter. Jesus is so amazing to pick people like us and forgive us over and over as we struggle. Your article ends with reminding us that it is the power of the Lord—not any human power—that accomplishes the work. God has blessed you with writing skills for reaching his people. Thank you for this topic, and keep reminding us of this important message. Maryann

Dear Friar Jim: Thank you so much for “Peter, the Failure Only Jesus Could Love.” This article gave me such encouragement to see not only that Jesus accepts me with all my failures, but also that I need to forgive others. It is so hard when you have been wronged over and over again, but I see how Jesus still saw the good in Peter and loved him despite his failures. Thank you, Marlene

Send your feedback to friarjack@americancatholic.org.

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