Born to Reconcile:

 

The Missionary Vocation of the Philippines

Fr. Raymond Boulet, M.S.

Editor: This article (edited because of length) was originally written in 1966, just after the closing of Vatican II, at the time we as La Salettes were forced to leave Burma (presently Myanmar), well in advance of our return as La Salettes to Myanmar and our recent ordinations there. It was also in advance of our Philippine Province’s outreach and entry into India in the early 1980’s and India becoming a province in 2007. This was also well before the La Salette vocation explosion in both Angola and Madagascar and the rise in the world’s focus of attention on China as a world-class power.

From the Celebes Sea of southern Malaysia to the Himalayas of Southeast Asia, missionaries belonging to an identical era and, very often, hailing from the same countries, applied a similar pastoral, taught more or less the same catechism, preached the same Gospel. Now, in 1966, we observe the results: one Asiatic country, only one, is predominantly Christian. We refer, of course, to the tiny, valiant Republic of the Philippines. Among the Orient's 32 million Christians, at least 20 million are Filipinos. Pope Paul VI did not hesitate to qualify this turn of events as a “miracle”. Speaking to the Bishops of the Philippines, the Holy Father did not attempt to hide his enthusiasm:

 

“Of all the lands surrounding you, the islands of the immense Pacific – Indonesia, Australia, China, Japan and other countries on the big continent of Asia – yours is the only Catholic country! This is a phenomenon... indeed a miracle!

Perhaps Pope Pius XII contributed more than anyone to awaken and to intensify among Filipino Bishops the awareness of their country's special mission in Asia. The most important statement on this issue was made precisely by Pius XII in a diplomatic reception tendered to the Honorable Manuel Moran, first ambassador of the Philippines to the Vatican (June 4, 1951):

“A glance at the map of Southern Asia and the Southwestern Pacific at once brings to the fore the vital point of the globe where Providence has set your country, Catholic in its majority, and assigned its appointed sphere of action in the community of peoples, scattering the countless charms and riches that so characterize this nation...”

A Nation of Reconcilers Received Its Evangelical Preparation

Left to right (front row): Fr. Paul Douillard, Fr. Lionel Lacasse, Fr. Emery DesRosers, Fr. Maurice Cardinal, Fr. Alphonse Lachapelle; left to right (standing): Fr. Donat Levasseur, Fr. Jean-Luc Pelissier, Fr. Conrad Blanchet, Bro. Armand Fredette, Fr. Normand Hélie, Fr. Maurice Robichaud, and Fr. Luc Douillard.

It cannot be denied that the geographical factor mentioned by Popes Pius XII and Paul VI did play an important role during the centuries when God was personally attending to what we have reason to call the “evangelical preparation” of the Filipino's smoothly effective performance of his “appointed sphere of action in the community of peoples”. Surrounding seas kept dangerous influences and power threats from its shores.

As the Rev. Arens points out, “the Philippines have, for the same reason, fewer friction points with their neighbors and are a pleasant friend to everyone — a quality highly desirable for a missionary vocation” (1). But the surrounding seas do not count any more. The Filipino lives one hour away, flight time, from the China mainland. Before today's Filipino seminarians celebrate their first Mass, all it will require to cross the South China Sea will be fifteen minutes — and courage.

Bro. Eugene and Bro. Armand in 1960s

The structural principle of Filipino society is the soul mate of reconciliation. Filipino society has been designed to foster and to preserve smooth interpersonal relations, which is another way of saying that the dynamics of this nation are directed to the promotion and the preservation of peace. One cannot help wishing that these cultural values were extrapolated immediately into the family of nations.

“Numerous mechanisms have arisen to bridge the social distance between non-kinsmen; to prevent the causing of hiya (i.e., “causing shame”, or “losing face”) in another person” (2). The go-between, the art of using the euphemism, the practice of extending one's kinship group through the “cumpadre system”, these are some of the social mechanisms devised by Filipino society, over the centuries, for the sole purpose of avoiding to give affront. The fundamental value in Filipino culture explains why an affront is intolerable: Filipino society has been built on the very keen awareness of personal dignity. This is most extraordinary!

Self-Esteem and Personal Dignity—Intrinsic to the Filipino Culture

It is generally believed that the concept of personal dignity is essentially of Christian origin. Western civilization was built upon the set of values deriving from this concept. Recently, and for the first time in the history of the Church, a Council — Vatican II — defended this concept. And yet this is the very bedrock of Filipino society; this is the key idea that had already “crystallized” long before the missionaries came! “Old Tagalog proverbs clearly set forth the concept of self-esteem: ‘The wound from a bolo (knife) is preferable to an offensive word’. Or ‘A wound heals, a foul word does not fade away’” (3).

“The Filipino”, wrote Camilo Osias in 1940, “has a keen consciousness of individual dignity... Many a conflict between a foreigner and a Filipino is found in a disregard on the one hand, and a sacred respect on the other, of this quality. The foreigner is apt to underestimate the dignity, the da-yaw (Iloko), of the Filipino. To the national psyche his dignity and his honor are everything and the ordinary Filipino is willing to sacrifice almost anything and everything at the altar of his dignity and honor” (4).

The anthropologist Robert B. Fox informs us that “many explanations are found in the Philippine literature for the Filipino's “keen sense of personal dignity”. The most common, perhaps, is that it is a “racial trait”, the Filipino “having in his veins the ancient pride of the Malay” (5). Or, it is assumed to be simply a given trait of the Filipino cultural heritage. It is apparent, however, that the Filipino concept of self-esteem is fundamentally social, being related to the centripetal and united character of the Filipino family and kinship group” (6).

Fr. Fred Julien, founder of the La Salette National Shrine in Biga, Silang, Cavite, Philippines

None of these explanations really explain. Too much is left to chance. In retrospect, and in the light of the papal statements regarding the special mission of the Catholic Philippines, tantamount to a national purpose, we do not hesitate to attribute this “given trait of the Filipino cultural heritage,” to the Lord of nations Who supervised the “evangelical preparation” of the entire Orient.

The La Salette Community's

Greatest Reconciliation Project

To speak of humankind is to speak of the History of Salvation. Here the word coincidence jars the soul. It certainly is not coincidence that explains why China's “awakening” and the Church's “coming of age” are happening in the same generation. One could say that man in Asia discovers his personal dignity just when the Church's mortal, juridical eyes open to notice it in all her children — just at the moment when the history of the Church is no longer identified with the up's and down's of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Basin, and when European yardsticks are no longer in style for measuring Oriental values.

Frs. Normand Hélie with Bro. Leonard Melanson at Cabatuan in 1950s

If all apostolic ventures have failed everywhere in Asia, except in the Philippines, until now, could it not be out of “inherent necessity”? Did God decide that the historical “fullness of time” would arrive when Asiatics would become aware of their God-given personal dignity and when the Church, in Ecumenical Council, would gain consciousness of the pluralism of its catholicity; also when the Church would show its willingness to dialogue with the East; when it would reach a spiritual purity incandescent enough to let its Lumen Gentium (Light to the nations) illuminate the farthest reaches of our planet Earth?

Jesus, whose name means Savior, saved. He still does. As we hear proclaimed at the Easter Vigil, Christ is the “alpha and omega,... yesterday and today.” It is precisely through salvation that he, the Word, expresses the Triune Love to which Mary gave flesh. He is Savior in all he does: whether he prays on a Palestine hilltop or in a Kentucky abbey; whether he works in Nazareth or Milan — and whether he sleeps in his disciple's fishing boat... or like a giant, in China! He always waits for “the hour of the Father” to come with its summons. Christ is Christ, Mystical Body or Bethlehem body. His Mystical Self will re-enter China and Burma when the appointed Hour of the Father strikes — not one generation sooner.

The Catholic Philippines and The Signs of the Times

The signs of the times seem to indicate that the Catholic Philippines will serve as the Lord’s “go-between”. It is a rare privilege for a missionary community like La Salette to be involved in the ultimate preparations for this great encounter between half of humankind and its God. We cannot imagine reconciliation on a more grand scale. Nothing, not even the hallowed allegiance one owes to his little Province, should stand in the way of giving all our Community has to this tremendously important Community commitment.

Fr. Joseph (Normand) Ross with his people

Why, after all, has La Salette been in the Philippines, side by side with born reconcilers, since 1948, if not to reconcile? Indeed, to reconcile individual Cursillistas, and Filipino apostles of every charism, with the uniqueness of their apostolic role. The Bishops of the Philippines may be aware of the nation's missionary calling — the people are not yet aware of their divine mission. It will be the task of La Salette missionaries, mandated reconcilers, to christen the Filipino's cultural heritage of the born reconciler. No stake could be more deserving of our best effort. No project of reconciliation of this magnitude ever challenged the Community: we are “sent” to negotiate the reconciliation between East and West.

The small band of La Salette Missionaries who have had the privilege of knowing and of loving their copper-skinned Filipino brothers have learned that there hides a lie in Kipling's glib statement: “East is East and West is West / And never the twain shall meet.” Every La Salette true to his calling is a reconciler by profession. And to his ineffable joy he has experienced that beyond nationalities and diverse cultures there is indeed a meeting-point where, in Christian love, East meets West and each recognizes in the other a true child of the same Father.

The Challenge of Expansion Through Expulsion

Fr. Lionel Lacasse in Jones

Let us not be dismayed if, once again, La Salette is forced to pick up its pilgrim's staff and take to the paradoxical highways of the God of History. In their journey away from Burma and “the road to Mandalay”, Fathers Kettner, Noonan and Rukus are travelling a familiar path, the nonsense route of expansion-through-expulsion. We have travelled it before. Along this route fled our brothers, the early Christian Jews, spurred on by the wrath of Saul. And they brought the treasures of the true faith from Jerusalem to Antioch.

Our fathers, tired old men, have trodden that mysterious path — in 1898 — when Catholic France was doing the “sending forth”... The road of the diaspora then led to Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and from that point La Salette embarked for the Orient.

What vineyards beckon beyond this momentous expulsion? Perhaps Latin America? We have just opened a new mission in Argentina; and Latin America is so front and center in our Community awareness. Or shall it be Africa? It is our considered conviction that missionaries accustomed to Oriental ways should not lightly bypass the Catholic Philippines.

Footnotes:

1. The Observer, Dec. 16, 1956
2. Robert B. Fox, “The Filipino Concept of Self-Esteem”, in Area Handbook on the Philippines, Chicago: Human Relations Area Files, 1956, Vol. 1, pp. 430-436
3. Quoted by Robert B. Fox, “The Filipino Concept of Self-Esteem”, in Area Handbook on the Philippines. Chicago: Human Relations Area Files, 1956, Vol. 1, pp. 430-436
4. The Filipino Way of Life: The Pluralized Philosophy. New York, Ginn & Co., pp. 133-134
5. Charles E. Russell, The Outlook for the Philippines, 1922, New York: The Century Co., pp. 46-47.
6. R.B. Fox, loc. cit.

(from left) Frs. Jose Nacu, Rutillo Malillin, Jr.,
Efren Musgni and Francisco Maliwat; Novice Brothers
Christopher Bautista and Leon Corpuz

(First published in Reconciliare, Vol. II, N° 1, June, 1966, Editorial Essay)