MANILA – Australian missionary Patricia Fox insisted that she still finds nothing wrong with her participation in political rallies during her stay here, which caused the revocation of her missionary visa and eventual eviction from the country on Saturday.
In a statement, Fox said that her participation in the rallies were in support of farmers and indigenous peoples and were “neither political nor partisan but part and parcel of my apostolate and missionary work.”
“In contrast, sitting idly, keeping one’s silence, doing nothing when injustice and oppression is happening is repugnant to the social doctrines and teachings of the church for salvation and liberation to the poor and powerless,” Fox said.
The Australian nun also slammed the Duterte administration for not doing any relief to the Filipinos in the face of rising prices while “a culture of impunity continues and democratic institutions are slowly being undermined.”
“Charter change threatens to institutionalize dictatorship. The Church and church people have come under attack with priests even being killed in front of the altar,” Fox said.
Fox also urged the Filipinos to reflect on the message of Pope Francis in 2014 challenging Catholics “to put the gospel into effect in our lives in service of the poor and oppressed.”
“This challenge is very relevant in our current situation,” Fox said. “In ‘Evangelii Gaudium,’ Pope Francis states: ‘The pastoral challenge I see now to the church and all people of goodwill – not to be silent in the face of massive human rights violations.’”
Fox left the country on Saturday after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) downgraded her temporary visitor’s visa which expired after the latter denied her appeal for an extension.
Fox was apprehended on April 16 by BI operatives pursuant to a mission order issued by Commissioner Jaime Morente for violating the conditions of her stay in the country by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations.
Fox filed a petition on May 25 before the Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking for the reversal of BI’s leave order on May 17 forfeiting her missionary visa due to allegations of violating the conditions of her stay, giving her a temporary visitor’s visa lasting only 30 days.
The BI, in its order, dismissed Fox’s arguments that they forfeited her visa without due process and allegations that she engaged in political activities were not backed with solid evidence.
On June 18, the DOJ nullified the BI’s order to forfeit Fox’s missionary visa, noting that the missionary visa forfeiture was “without legal basis” and outside the BI’s power./PN
