In Mindanao, religious leaders join hands to promote peace

BY RICHEL V. UMEL

OCTOBER 12, 2024

Bishop Edwin dela Pena of the Catholic Prelature of Marawi (third from left) leads the signing of a declaration to sustain the peace-building initiatives of religious leaders from different faiths in Mindanao. --RICHEL V. UMEL

DAVAO CITY—Leaders of different faiths have come together to strengthen efforts to foster cooperation among the people of Mindanao and address conflicts in some areas on the island.

The religious leaders held a two-day gathering here that concluded on Wednesday during which they “reaffirm our commitment to work for peace and sustainable development” that is “guided by the values of love, justice, harmony, respect, integrity, unity, reconciliation, spirituality and unity.”

The newly formed Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC) sought to follow in the footsteps of the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) that was organized in 1996 by Catholic Bishop Fernando Capalla, United Church of Christ in the Philippines Bishop Hilario Gomez Jr., and Ulama League of the Philippines president Mahid Mutilan.