Saving Fr Bossi

It is now just over 2 weeks since a Catholic missionary priest was kidnapped in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines. Reports are sketchy as to what happened, but it seems that as he was riding his motorbike after celebrating Mass in a village in Zamboanga at least 5 armed men forced him from the road and into a van. He has not been heard of since, although there have been reports in the press of him being sighted walking in the mountains in the company of armed men.

Fr Bossi went missing in an area under the control of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. This is a Muslim separatist movement which has been engaged in on/ off armed conflict with the government. In 2003 a cease fire was agreed, and for the most part has held in place, though there are suspicions that a renegade MILF group are behind the kidnap of Fr Bossi. It is estimated that there are still about 4,000 MILF soldiers in the Philippines, and one of the ironies of Fr Bossi’s kidnap is that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the soldiers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front – erstwhile enemies – have been searching together for traces of Fr Bossi’s kidnappers

The Manila Times reports that difficulties have arisen in the search:

Late last week the operation ran into a major problem. Following the expiration of its mandate, the government and MILF’s Ad hoc Joint Action Group has been deactivated. That means the liaison between the government and the former secessionist group has been effectively cut. Unless it is restored soon, the possibility of government and MILF forces who are engaged in the search firing at each other by mistake is very real.

Where Fr Bossi is now, no-one seems to know. There are rumours of behind the scenes talks but it is uncertain if these are taking place. One possibility is that Fr Bossi was kidnapped by another Islamic group – possibly the Al Qaeda linked Abu Sayyff, another is that he was held up by one of the independent ‘kidnap for ransom’ gangs that operate in the Philippines.

Whatever the case, Fr Bossi was well known by Christians and Muslims a like as a ‘gentle giant’ who worked on behalf of the poor of both communities, and it is heartening that community leaders on both sides of the religious / political divide have requested and prayed for his safe treatment and release.