“Naiyak ako sa image of Mary (I was teary-eyed at the image of Mary),” our foreign affairs reporter Bea Cupin told me on Telegram the other day. 

Bea and I were talking about the Marian peace voyage led by Archbishop Socrates Villegas on Tuesday, July 16. The sea procession off Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan, traversing part of the West Philippine Sea, was part of a prayer campaign for peace in these troubled waters. 

Villegas, the 63-year-old former secretary of Jaime Cardinal Sin, wore a red-and-black life vest as he prayed the rosary and led the singing of songs in a boat during the procession. The archbishop, who was seated at first, later moved to the front of the boat where an image of Our Lady of Fatima stood firm, supported by ropes.

This image of a Catholic archbishop standing beside Mary in the West Philippine Sea left an imprint in me — a symbol of religion’s role as peacemaker.

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It is, however, a complicated image that we first need to unpack before we proceed to its core message.

‘The most political’ apparition

Our Lady of Fatima, as Villegas himself said, is symbolic of the Philippines’ cause. He described the reported apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to three shepherd children in 1917 as “the most political” among Marian apparitions. Mary was believed to have called for the conversion of communist and atheist Russia.

Like the reported apparition of Mary in Fatima, the Marian prayer voyage on Tuesday sent a strong message to a foreign power — this time, China.

In a Mass before the maritime procession, Villegas said: “We pray for our country but we also pray for brother China. Yes, brother China. It has thousands of years of civilization in the vast continent of Asia. May it use its civilization to preserve peace and harmony among nations according to the ancient teachings of Chinese wise men.”

Three weeks earlier, Villegas launched a 50-day rosary campaign “to protect the Philippines from atheist China.” 

Villegas, in a pastoral letter about the rosary campaign, cited evidence of “insidious attempts” to trample on “our sacred shores.” He attributed these to “a foreign powe,” China, “that governs by an ideology that recognizes no God and keeps all religion and the practice of faith under the heavy heel of its totalitarian boot.”

The complication here is subtle: the reference to China as atheist.

As a Catholic, I hope to share my faith to as many people as possible. I also hold that faith in God can make us more fully alive. Like many devotees, I believe that Our Lady of Fatima showed herself to three shepherd children in 1917, and that she sought the conversion of Russia — a country for which I continue to pray, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine. 

We need to be careful, however, not to discriminate against “atheist countries” in the process of praying for them. Globally, the problem of atheist discrimination is real, reported The Guardian in 2020, citing data from Humanists International. One of the countries where atheist discrimination exists is the Philippines, the group said. 

We need to understand that morality is not exclusive to people who worship divine beings. It’s a challenging proposal for a country where 96% of people, according to a 2019 Pew Research survey, link belief in God to good values. But for believers like myself, we need only to look at the mirror to realize that religion cannot guarantee good behavior. 

So when we Catholics pray for China, I hope we consider that Chinese leaders violate the rule of law, harass our ships, and bully the Philippines not primarily because they are atheists, but because they choose to be evil. 

(On a side note, we should disabuse ourselves of the notion that “atheist” China has no faith of any kind. In a February 2024 explainer, I discuss the uniqueness of Chinese Religion — and how they combine elements from religions such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Did you know that in the Philippines, Chinese religion even mixed with Christianity? Read about it here.)

A sign of hope 

Having said this word of caution, let us turn to the power of the Marian voyage itself.

This power is evident, first of all, in the numbers. 

The video of the Marian voyage has gained at least 12,000 views on Rappler’s YouTube channel and 45,000 on our Facebook page. A separate Rappler story page containing the video now has 2,500 likes and more than 200 shares on Facebook — significant figures considering that Facebook has deprioritized journalistic content on our news feeds. 

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[The Wide Shot] How can prayer defend the Philippines from China?

I think the Marian voyage responds to a need for symbols of peace — and for peacemakers, such as the Catholic Church — at a time when wars and conflicts ravage different parts of the globe.

Despite its own history of violence, such as during the time of the Crusades, the contemporary Catholic Church is known for its role as peacemaker on the global stage. 

The recent trip to the Philippines by Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, gave me a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church’s role as peacemaker. I attended his lecture about the Holy See’s role in international diplomacy at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City — which also served as an opportunity for me to visit my former beat. 

The diplomatic service of the Holy See, of course, plays by different rules because they act more as diplomats — not as preachers, activists, or politicians as many bishops and priests do. But we can learn a thing or two from their governing principles.

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A seasoned diplomat, 70-year-old Gallagher said that the Holy See insists on “positive neutrality in state affairs and international relations,” as it “occupies a distinctive and unparalleled position on the global stage.”

“Unlike conventional states, its mission transcends temporal, political, or material interests, focusing on profound religious and moral matters that transcend national and transnational concerns,” Gallagher said. 

The Vatican diplomat noted how “today, there seems to be a lack of trust particularly in international law and the institutions that uphold it.” In this context, he said that when addressing conflicts, “it is essential to understand that defense is not solely about military might but also about fostering institutions and promoting agreements between peoples.”

“The Church, the Holy See and the Pope are dedicated to working for peace and advocating for peaceful resolutions. In today’s world, achieving a clear solution through victory or defeat is unrealistic. As Pope Francis has said, ‘With war, everything is lost, everything. There is no victory in a war. Everything is defeated,’” he said.

Gallagher said the Holy See and the structures of diplomacy “are united by the same task to be a sign of hope — a sign, that is, that conflicts are not inescapable, but rather can be overcome through dialogue.” The aspiration, he said, is “stability, security, and peace — a peace, however, that is not a mere balance of forces, but a true peace founded on justice.”

“True peace founded on justice” — justice for fisherfolk, coastal communities, and future generations — was the same aspiration of Filipinos who joined or supported the Marian peace voyage.

This, too, was the longing of our foreign affairs reporter Bea Cupin, as tears welled up in her eyes while watching the sea procession.

In our Telegram exchange, Bea said she grew up Catholic, with her family going to Mass every Sunday and even praying the rosary every day when she was around 10 years old. While her practice of faith has evolved, Bea said that “I still hold close to my heart the core values and even the symbols I grew up with.”

“I suppose seeing the image of Mama Mary on the boat reminded me of the faith Filipinos share and the community we belong to — and that’s a moving sight to see, especially because the Philippines’ problems in the West Philippine Sea are that daunting and that much bigger than any and all of us,” she told me.

“I think it’s also heartwarming to see Filipinos come together for an issue that’s so daunting – whether it’s through a fun run in Pasay, a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, or a maritime procession in Pangasinan,” she added.

We all hope for peace and — while working for a just world — we take refuge in symbols of hope. 

May peace be with us, and may peace be with China. – Rappler.com