Twenty Year of Episcopal Ministry... A Pilgrimage of Hope to Marawi

by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David

photos from DZRV 846

Today, on the final day of the CBCP Plenary Assembly, I had the grace of joining the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles Brown, in an apostolic visit to the Territorial Prelature of Marawi.

The day also marks a personal milestone for me. Twenty years ago today, on July 10, 2006, I was ordained a bishop. I could think of no more meaningful way to celebrate this anniversary than by visiting a local Church whose witness of faith, hope, and perseverance continues to inspire the Church in the Philippines.

Our first stop was the site of the ruined Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians and the former episcopal residence, both devastated during the siege of Marawi in 2017. There, amid the scars left by war, a group of Catholic students from Mindanao State University welcomed us with the hymn Be Not Afraid. It was a deeply moving moment.

Surrounded by the remains of what had been destroyed, we heard words that proclaimed hope rather than despair. It was as if the Gospel itself was being sung to us.

The Territorial Prelature of Marawi was established by Pope Paul VI in 1976 and entrusted to Bishop Bienvenido Tudtud, MSP, whose vision was truly prophetic. He understood that the Church’s mission in the heart of Muslim Mindanao was not to become a dominant presence, but to be a reconciling presence—building trust and friendship with our Maranao brothers and sisters through dialogue, service, and genuine fraternity. Long before interreligious dialogue became a familiar expression in the Church, Bishop Tudtud had already made it the defining charism of the prelature.

Today, that same vision is carried forward by Bishop Edwin de la Peña, MSP. Although the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians and the episcopal residence were destroyed during the Marawi siege, the Territorial Prelature remains canonically rooted in Marawi. Bishop Edwin now resides in Maria Cristina, Balo-i, where he has built a pro-cathedral and continues to shepherd the prelature with the assistance of eight dedicated priests. Their steadfast presence is a quiet but eloquent witness that the Church has not abandoned the people she was sent to serve.

We are now on our way to Maria Cristina to celebrate the Eucharist with Bishop Edwin and his priests. On this twentieth anniversary of my episcopal ordination, I can think of no better reminder of what it means to be a bishop: to remain with one’s people, especially in times of trial, and never to lose hope that the Lord can heal wounds, restore trust, and make peace possible.

Please continue to pray for the Church in Marawi, for Bishop Edwin, his priests and faithful, for our Muslim brothers and sisters, and for the lasting peace, healing, and reconciliation of Mindanao.