Fr. Giuseppe (Beppe) Pierantoni is released
Rome, April 8, 2002
After 172 days of being kidnapped, we can joyfully announce that Fr. Giuseppe Pierantoni, SCJ, a missionary in the Philippines, was freed today. He is in a good health, though tired from tensions, constant changes in location, and precarious living conditions. He is calm and without any animosity toward those who subjected him to this painful situation.
Both for the family of Fr. Pierantoni, as well as for us his conferences and his fellow missionaries in the Philippines, this period has been difficult. It has also been a period of grace, reflection, prayer, and confirmation of our missionary vocation. As a consequence of an entire set of circumstances we believe that inter-religious dialog with Muslims has grown. We have greatly welcomed their attitude which, while condemning the kidnapping, led to special times of prayer in their mosques.
The family of Fr. Pierantoni, SCJ, (his elderly parents and a sister) have born this Calvary with exceptional courage supported by prayer and solidarity from many Christians and their communities.
We are particularly grateful to the Church in the Philippines and to the Bishop of Pagadian, Most Rev. Zaccaria Jiménez, who was the primary go-between in this affair. We are also grateful to the government of the Philippines for the attention given this case from the very beginning until its conclusion. We thank the Italian ambassador in Manila and all the Christian and Muslim institutions and agencies in the Philippines, Italy and elsewhere who worked toward freeing Fr. Pierantoni. We are equally grateful to the effective interest of the Italian government and the European community.
We want to acknowledge the solidarity expressed by so many persons, groups, institutions, members of the church and civil society who stood by us with their encouragement, sharing in our worries, offering fraternal support and prayer.
We felt in particular the closeness of the Holy Father, who was notified of Fr. Beppe's release personally by Fr. General, and also many cardinals, bishops, priests, and members of religious orders, and many lay people.
For their ongoing interest we also want to thank the Union of Superiors General, the website of Vidimus Dominum and the MISNA agency.
The positive outcome of this event is certainly due, in the first place, to God's grace to whom every glory and praise is due. It has also been the outcome of solidarity among so many people who made contributions according to their abilities. We believe that the drama as it played out has contributed to the sense of universal brotherhood sought by God of his children which overcomes every barrier and division.
Letter from Fr. Virginio Bressanelli concerning the release of Fr. Beppe:
Rome, April 8, 2002
To: All the members of the SCJ Family
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At 1:40 a.m this morning I welcomed with indescribable joy the news of the freeing of Fr. Giuseppe Pierantoni, SCJ. At 2:20 a.m., our confreres in the Philippines confirmed the news after the president of the nation, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, announced it officially via the national radio and television networks. At 4:10 a.m., another communication reaffirmed all we had heard and added that Fr. Giuseppe had been seen by some friends of our missionaries and that he was on the way to Manila. Upon his arrival there, according to the usual practice in such cases, he was lodged at the Italian embassy, where he will stay until this morning, after which he will be able to return to our community in Quezon City. There will be a meeting with all our Philippine missionaries and they will make the decisions connected with his travel to Italy together with one of our missionaries.
I was able to talk to him directly about 8 a.m. Rome time. Fr. Beppe is in good health. His captivity, according to him, was "a great grace" which enabled him to live in intense union with the SCJs and for the SCJs despite the tensions, displacement, and precarious living conditions. At certain times he was in danger of death and felt in his being a total helplessness and insecurity about his future. Yet the Lord gave him an incredible serenity.
Despite the scarcity of food and the need to live rather provisionally this past six months, he feels that his health has improved.
He is grateful for the concern, the prayers and the anxiety experienced by the congregation (especially by the Philippine missionaries), by his family, and by many others, which obtained this grace from the Lord. He is also grateful to the governments and institutions which obtained his freedom.
He does not know how to add anything more except to say: "THANKS BE TO GOD AND TO MY CONFRERES."
The kidnapping of Fr. Giuseppe Pierantoni lasted 172 days and was felt by the entire congregation. The widespread diffusion of the news through the media led to his family and the congregation being the center of attention and receiving support from many people. For us it was a time of uncertainty and sorrow. At the same time, it was a footprint of God in our history. We prayed, reflected, and dialoged a great deal. Communities, friendly religious, Christian faithful whom we served showed us great appreciation and spiritual support for our SCJ vocation. All this led to a deepening of the meaning of missionary life in the spirituality of Fr. Dehon who sent us to those who are apart, in difficult places, where there is not much human gratification, where others do not want to work, and where "sometimes people die young." To learn in practice the worth of such words is an undeniable grace by God to our congregation.
The freeing of Fr. Beppe took place on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. For us this is an annunciation of great joy, something that once again has allowed us to experience the merciful love of God and the gratuity of His call to which, like Mary, we desire to respond with total availability - "Here I am."
As sons of Fr. Dehon, let us live and pray the "Here I am" of Jesus and Mary. "Yes, we are here as servants of the Lord, to do his will which is the building of the Kingdom of God in persons and societies."
Today, our heart is filled with joy and gratitude particularly toward the Lord who has helped our brother with tenderness and set him free.
Let us rejoice over the return of Fr. Beppe, safe and sound, at the same moment that we look to the Easter season which refreshes, which gives us rest, which permits restoration of our strength, which testifies to the one who lives, and let us celebrate the marvels of God.
Fraternally,
Fr. Virginio D. Bressanelli, SCJ
Superior General
How Father Beppe Pierantoni, SCJ, was freed
April 7-8, 2002, Sunday night - Monday morning
Sunday morning, the kidnappers informed Fr. Beppe that his liberation was imminent. They prepared a double portion of food for lunch and supper; and after lunch at about 1:00 PM they headed towards the agreed upon location. Marching rapidly, crossing streams and climbing and descending hills, they finally stopped to eat towards evening, and then from 7:00 PM until 2:00 AM they continued their journey. Some of the kidnappers were tired and preferred to retrace their steps and return to the security of the forest.
Fr. Beppe with the group leader and a few others approached the road, agreed upon with the police during their negotiations as the spot to release their prisoner. The kidnappers were very cautious not wanting to fall into a trap so they took a very circuitous route before finally contacting the police by phone.
Around two of the morning, on April 8th, contact was made and Fr. Beppe was rapidly delivered by the kidnappers into the hands of the police. The leader of the kidnappers met with the commander of the police. They spoke briefly and then the exchange was made. The kidnappers melted rapidly back into the forest. Fr. Beppe was put into an ambulance and the police swiftly drove to a nearby airport where a private plane was waiting to take him to Manila to meet President Arroyo.
In her announcement of his release the President said that the police had liberated a Catholic priest, Fr. Pierantoni, SCJ, without paying any ransom. News agencies and journalists pressed in to interview him. A member of the Italian Embassy staff moved in to extricate Fr. Beppe from this journalistic siege and took him to the house of the Italian Ambassador, where he meet up with his fellow SCJs and friends.
April 14, 2002
Sunday morning, Fr. Beppe Pierantoni, accompanied by Fr. Rino Venturin, SCJ, arrived in Rome at 8.30 AM, on a Singapore Airlines flight. Waiting to greet him were his father Giorgio and mother Giuseppina, along with his sister Cristina, the Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See, the charge d'affairs from the Philippine Embassy to Italy along with a representative of the Ambassador of Luxembourg to the Holy See. Representing the Superior general, who is at present in Brazil, was the vicar general together with a large group of SCJs from Rome. After celebrating Mass of thanksgiving at noon they enjoyed a festive meal.
April 15, 2002
On Monday evening, a concelebrated Mass with SCJs from all over Rome was celebrated. Father Beppe spoke of how he lived spiritually during the months of his confinement. He sought the Lord's support with prayers from his heart and by saying the rosary, as he had neither a bible nor a breviary with him. In conversing with his captors he felt he built up mutual trust between them.
After supper, Fr. Beppe held a long, and interesting conversation with the community in which he recounted the details of his imprisonment. Father Rino Venturin, a member of the SCJ community in the Philippines, who was involved in the negotiations leading to Fr. Beppe's release, retraced all of the steps taken - from first learning of the kidnapping, to the many disappointments and moments of false hope, until the moment when Father Beppe was freed.
Fr. Umberto Chiarello, scj
