At this period of suffering for many Filipinos still reeling from the devastation caused by natural calamities, Christmas is a time for solidarity and peace-building, a ranking Church official said.

In a Christmas message, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma urged the faithful to express their solidarity with the victims of Typhoon Pablo that devastated Compostela Valley and surrounding areas earlier this month.

He said parishes from his diocese “have sent a solidarity fund to the Diocese of Mati along with several volunteers from various organizations” as a concrete way of helping the affected families.

Last year, Cagayan de Oro also was devastated by Typhoon Sendong that killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of families.

A year after the tragedy, many families have yet to be given proper housing despite joint humanitarian efforts by national, local and international agencies to normalize the life of the victims.

“While more than half of the Sendong evacuee families have received permanent housing units within the city, many others are still waiting to rebuild their lives and means of livelihood,” Ledesma said.

A lot to thank God for
But despite the setbacks, the Jesuit prelate also noted that still there are a lot to be thankful to the Lord.

He mentioned the recent ordination of three priests and two deacons in the archdiocese as great blessings especially in this year that the Church celebrates the “Year of Faith.”

He also mentioned as another grace the signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro that can bring long lasting peace in Mindanao.

But he said “the agreement requires our own proactive efforts to forge inter-religious harmony at the personal level.”

“Peace on earth was the message of the angelic choir to the shepherds in Bethlehem. May that same message resonate throughout the island of Mindanao and the rest of the country,” Ledesma said.