UCA News
Contribute

Philippine archbishop to promote peace in troubled region

Archbishop-elect Julius Tonel of Zamboanga pledges to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao
Archbishop-elect Julius Tonel Zamboanga

Archbishop-elect Julius Tonel Zamboanga. (Photo: Zamboanga Archdiocese)

Published: April 26, 2023 11:43 AM GMT
Updated: April 27, 2023 03:58 AM GMT

The newly appointed archbishop of Zamboanga in the conflict-ridden Mindanao region in the Philippines vowed to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims for peace.

Pope Francis appointed Bishop Julius Tonel of Ipil Diocese as the new archbishop of Zamboanga Archdiocese in the Muslim-majority Mindanao region on April 25.

Following his new appointment, Archbishop-elect Tonel said one of his priorities will be to eliminate Christian bias against Muslims that all Muslims are terrorists or members of jihadist groups.

“There are some continuing biases against Muslims. Even by our political leaders in society, thus we must form them, we must equip them… so that there could be true dialogue by eliminating biases in the pursuit of peace,” Tonel, 67, told UCA News.

The prelate said he is a bit nervous to take up the new position in Zamboanga, but he is determined to continue his advocacy for peace.

“It makes me afraid because my responsibility is now bigger. Zamboanga has faced many challenges as archdiocese both from terrorist attacks and Christian biases against Muslims,” he added.

Tonel was born in Davao City on Aug. 31, 1956. He was ordained a priest in Davao on April 12, 1980.

He studied liturgical theology at the Pontifical Saint Anselm Athenaeum in Rome (1986-1990). He was appointed bishop of Ipil on June 30, 2007, and was consecrated on Aug. 20.

He is the chairman of the Healthcare Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Local Christian and Muslim leaders have welcomed the appointment of the new archbishop saying that he is no stranger to the region and the challenges it faces.

“He is a pastor that does not easily judge. He listens and a person who listens is a good facilitator of peace in Mindanao region,” Zamboanga Catholic Francesca Ruizalo, 61, told UCA News.

Ruizalo said the new archbishop is loved by Catholics due to his ability to settle conflicts not only among Christians and Muslims but among Catholics as well.

“He is an administrator who has an eye and sensitivity on delicate issues. He studies history and the background of the parties involved, which made him sympathize very well… when he speaks, his listeners would easily know he did his homework by background checking.” Ruizalo added.

In 2021, Tonel was a key figure in the interreligious dialogue for peace in Sulu province after the extremist bombings that killed 14 people and wounded 75 others.

On Aug. 24, 2020, terrorist group Abu Sayyaf detonated two bombs near the Philippine army carrying out Covid relief efforts. Another suicide bomb attack targeted a cathedral.

Tonel condemned the terrorist acts yet insisted that Catholic parishes should serve as venues of peace where the Catholic Church’s teachings could be taught to all.

In 2002, Muslim extremists launched a series of attacks in the province that killed 11 people and wounded 80 others.

An Abu Sayyaf bomb maker was also arrested in the same province in February 2023 with explosives and other bomb-making materials.

Muslim imam Osman Balba said the new archbishop is a popular figure in the Muslim community for his remarkable contribution to the consultation committee of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) 2018, which created Mindanao as an autonomous region.

“Bishop Tonel was not only supportive of the bill (before it was passed). He was also critical of it. There were revisions and he facilitated the consultation process among Muslim families in his diocese,” Balba told UCA News.

Before the law was passed, Tonel, together with other Mindanao prelates, promised to improve Catholic education by teaching a “more inclusive history” that traces the relationships of Muslim and Christian people.

Mindanao region has endured deadly conflicts for decades between Islamic extremists and the military that left thousands killed.

The main insurgent outfit, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) battled for greater autonomy until BOL was passed in 2018 and the group disarmed thousands of fighters.

However, many of its fighters refused to lay down arms and joined other extremist outfits active in the region such as the Abu Sayyaf group, which pledges allegiance to the transnational terrorist outfit, Islamic State.  

Widespread poverty has long been blamed for breeding extremism in a region known as the breadbasket of the country for its promising agriculture sector and natural resources.

About 26.1 percent of the region’s estimated 24 million people were in extreme poverty in 2021, the highest in the country, according to the Philippine Information Agency.

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia