ZAMBOANGA (UCAN): Pope Francis appointed Bishop Julius Tonel of the Diocese of Ipil, as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga in the Muslim-majority Mindanao region on April 25.
Following his appointment, Archbishop-designate Tonel said one of his priorities would be to eliminate the bias 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,” the 67-year-old archbishop-designate said.
He expressed nervousness at taking up the new position in Zamboanga, but 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.
Archbishop-designate Tonel was born in Davao City on 31 August 1956. He was ordained a priest in Davao on 12 April 1980.
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
Archbishop-designate Tonel
He studied liturgical theology at the Pontifical Saint Anselm Athenaeum in Rome from 1986 to 1990. He was appointed bishop of Ipil on 30 June 2007, and was consecrated on August 20.
He is the chairperson 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 noting that he is no stranger to the region and the challenges it faces.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
“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,” one Zamboanga Catholic, Francesca Ruizalo, said.
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 makes him sympathise very well… when he speaks, his listeners will easily know he did his homework by background checking.” Ruizalo added.
In 2021, Archbishop-designate 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.
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
Osman Balba
On 24 August 2020, the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, detonated two bombs near the Philippine army carrying out Covid relief efforts. Another suicide bomb attack targeted a cathedral.
The archbishop-designate 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.
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 explained.
Before the law was passed, Archbishop-designate Tonel, together with other Mindanao bishops, promised to improve Catholic education by teaching a “more inclusive history” that traces the relationships of Muslim and Christian people.
He succeeds the late Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz, who served from May 2014 until his death from illness in December 2021, CBCPNews reported.
The Mindanao region has endured deadly conflicts for decades between Islamic extremists and the military that left thousands dead.
About 26.1 per cent 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.
