How about this bishop? Bishop Emmanuel Treveno Cabajar of Pagadian, Philippines, was called in by police to help them negotiate with gunmen holding a bus full of people hostage at a checkpoint in a southern province known for violent guerilla activity. (The region has seen many kidnappings and killings of priests by both Communist and Islamic terror groups, the latter of which have been connected to al Quaida.)
The gunmen demand a pick-up truck and that Bishop Cabajar join them as a human shield. Despite the police warning him that it was too dangerous, the bishop agreed. He was later released along with all the hostages. Now that’s a rare kind of courage.
Pagadian. Does anyone know where that is? Why is it that the good bishop is located in some out of the way place, and a bishop like 60 Minutes showed us last night is right there where the world can get a good look?
Philippines. Sorry, I should have said it in the blog entry, but the linked article I provided gave the full story.
I know people from Pagadian. The situation in the Philippines is grave, indeed. If it is not Islamicists then its the Communists.
The Philippines has always been a rock solid Catholic country.
Hmmm…a bishop at the wheel of the get-away vehicle for criminals. Doesn’t this sound familiar? (no offense to HE Bishop Treveno Cabajar, of course. What he did was honorable. )