New City: Can you share something about your family and your involvement in the ecumenical dialogue in Antipolo, Rizal?

Carlito: We have been married for 43 years and have two children: Joy, a Special Education teacher, and Aldo, a chef. Putting into practice the spirituality of communion of the Focolare Movement has awakened in us love and passion for the Church, and a deep appreciation of those from other Christian traditions, our sisters and brothers in Christ. Our previous bishop, Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, having such great confidence in the Focolare Movement, entrusted the Diocesan Commission on Ecumenical Affairs and Interreligious Dialogue to the Movement, and so did our current bishop, Most Rev. Francisco de Leon. 

Our Focolare community in Antipolo has been actively involved in ecumenism since the 1990s, but the official Rizal Ecumenical Movement (REM) was established only 5 years ago, in 2017, with 8 member churches: the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, also called Aglipayan Church, the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, the Iglesia Unida Ekyumenikal, the Apostolic Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, and the Roman Catholic Church. 

New City: Can you describe for us this work of yours with the Rizal Ecumenical Movement? How has the spirituality of unity helped you move ahead in this endeavor? 

Edna: It has been a dialogue of life, prayer and action, walking, praying and working together with our sisters and brothers from different Christian churches. We encountered many challenges in this journey of ecumenical dialogue. Among them are negative perceptions and biases due to ignorance and apprehension at the thought of proselytism and conversions. Having been molded in the spirituality of unity, we understood that the only thing that matters is to love, and if we are love, God is present, and He is able to accomplish His plan of love on each one and for every church. There is more openness among all and deep respect for each person and his or her faith tradition. We began to better appreciate the beauty of each one and the gift that he or she is to us. Our meetings are becoming more and more a family gathering, and we realized that our diversity, instead of creating disunity among us, paves the way to harmony. People have come and gone, but the relationship of love that unites us into one family remains and has deepened. Loving the other churches as our own made us sensitive to their needs, purified our love and made it more concrete. The other churches, in turn, developed a special love for the Catholic Church and have gone beyond the hurts of the past because they felt accepted and loved. 

New City: Differences very often can cause fractures in relationships. Do you have a “formula” or “secret” in maintaining a harmonious relationship among the members of REM? Can you share some concrete experiences of how you build unity among you?

Carlito: Working for ecumenical dialogue meant establishing personal relationships – respecting and accepting one another, listening to them, accompanying them, and making them feel part of the family. It meant opening our homes to them, being there for them, especially in difficult moments, and praying for them. We focused on loving them concretely and not on the negative things that can lead to judgments and division. Through our efforts to live an authentic life, our brothers and sisters from other churches understood that the Gospel is not only something to be studied and meditated on, but also to be lived. They told us, “you walk the talk.” Relationships deepened, and mutual trust developed, favoring communion, from spiritual experiences to generous sharing of what we have, no matter how little it may be. Someone came to our ecumenical worship with two boxes full of fresh fish he had caught in the lake, fishing the whole night. His wife cooked the fish to share with everyone. They felt our love in a previous meeting when we brought them to a place where they can take a ride back to their town, even if it was out of our way. One of us from the community, a catechist, didn’t want to participate in the activities. One time, we invited her to share rice for lunch during an ecumenical liturgical celebration. She planned to come only for lunch. After witnessing the mutual love among people of different Christian churches, her prejudices disappeared, and she started working with us for ecumenism.

Edna: A young church worker of another church shared with us his journey, his difficult past, and his trying to understand his vocation. Knowing that we were there for him, supporting and accompanying him with our prayers and unity has helped him a lot in his journey. During the retreat, he shared that he had received a special grace of forgiveness and a new start, which also helped him understand that he is called to the priesthood. He finished his studies last April 2022.

A priest of another Christian church, who was going through a very difficult moment, was ostracized and suspended from his priestly ministry for a year. Though downhearted, he found the courage to share with some of us his suffering, despite it being something delicate. We listened, making him feel that we were there for him, accompanying him with our prayers and unity. We would visit him, spending time with him just to listen to his experiences. He told us that he drew strength from our love. He is now in another diocese, but the unity remains, and he brings with him the love built among us.

New City: The Ecumenical Movement in many parts of the country manifests great interest in forging unity among the various Christian churches. In particular, it shows so much support in bringing ahead the various activities during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. How did you work with the rest of the REM last year in celebrating 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines?

Carlito: In 2021, the opening celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was entrusted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to the Rizal Ecumenical Movement with only a few days to prepare. We accepted it only out of love for Jesus and the Church, well aware of the challenges this commitment would entail. But we felt that God would do the rest, even what seemed impossible for us. 

Everyone worked giving their all, trying to involve more people, seminarians, ecumenical groups, the youth, other dioceses, etc. Those from the other churches felt the welcoming embrace of the Catholic Church. It has been an extraordinary and wonderful experience of reciprocal love among us. The pastors even suggested that Mary be included in the procession together with the Bible and the Cross. She is truly the Mother of everyone – a mother who seeks only to unite her children in Jesus. The ecumenical prayer service was simple, solemn, and beautiful. God made it specially meaningful as we were celebrating the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. Though an online event, it made a strong impact on those who participated. I would say that it was Jesus present among us who was at work.

New City: We’ve seen that ecumenical activities are not limited to praying together to sustain each other spiritually. Can you share with us your involvement in social action and ecological projects?

Edna: We understood that we also have to face and address the issues affecting our people. There is a controversial issue regarding the proposed construction of a dam that will displace many of our indigenous people and flood many areas. Together with an NGO working for indigenous people, IDPIP (Integrated Development Program for Indigenous People), we organized a forum to create awareness about the issue and care for the environment. Part of the program was a scientific presentation about earthquakes, an important factor to consider in the study of whether or not dams should be constructed in a certain place. It was an eye-opener for all, having understood our relationship with God and nature, and our responsibility to take care of it. We resolved to do our part to protect the environment.

We have also participated in the Season of Creation celebrations. Last year, we had a beautiful experience of working together with other ecumenical friends and groups during the Laudato Si’ 2021 Season of Creation Ecumenical Week activities for families (A Call to Love: Caring for our Common Home), the environment (A Pathway to Dialogue between God and Man) and liturgy (Ecumenical Liturgical Celebration). For the Laudato Si’ Week celebration, two of our pastors from different churches participated online in the international interfaith festival by giving a solidarity message and an interfaith prayer.

Carlito: As part of our outreach program, we visit small Dumagat tribal communities in Rizal. One time, we visited a small community with 27 families. When their houses had been swept away by Typhoon Ulysses in 2020, we brought rice, chicken, eggs, water, blankets, and kiddie packs for them. It was an experience of God, even for our children. Our son Aldo and his friend woke up at 1:00 am to prepare the food, and our daughter Joy cooked soup together with some pastors. We were all tired but very happy to have loved them concretely. Going to this indigenous community, we treated them as equals and as brothers and sisters, listening to all their pain and suffering. They felt loved and valued through the simple things we had brought them. At one point, they said that it wouldn’t have mattered if we didn’t bring them anything. The fact that we thought of their community was already something for them. 

The first time we reached their place, we all got wet while crossing the river on a small banca (boat). The next time we returned there, we got the surprise of our lives when we saw a bamboo footbridge that they had constructed for us so that we wouldn’t get wet anymore while crossing the river. Truly, love multiplies and creates a ripple effect. We understood that when we are love for others, unity is possible, despite diversities in culture and faith.

New City: The untiring work you all do promises abundant fruits for the future of ecumenical dialogue. What event do you consider a “milestone” in bringing about unity among the Christian churches?

Carlito: Once, we were invited together with our partner priest to accompany the Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and represent the Diocese of Antipolo and the Rizal Ecumenical Movement in a significant moment in the dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente or Aglipayan Church on August 3, 2021, the liturgical launching of two documents: “Celebrating the Gift of Faith, Learning from the Past, Journeying Together” and the “Mutual Recognition of Baptism.” Our bishop, realizing the importance of the event, had a special image of our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage carved and given as a gift to the Iglesia Independiente Filipina to mark the occasion. Having a deep devotion to Mary, their members were so touched by this cordial gesture. 

Talking about milestones, this journeying together has truly made us enter into each other’s lives, churches, and families. For instance, when priests or pastors get transferred to other areas, we all feel the cut of the separation. However, we know that love remains and that they bring with them Jesus, the presence of Jesus we had all built together by loving one another, sharing our joys and pains. Thus, God continues to be at work in their new assignments.

New City: How would you sum up your experience of ecumenical dialogue?

Edna: We realized that this journeying together, in the dialogue of life – walking, praying and working together towards the Light with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations – are occasions to put into practice the commandment of Jesus, to love one another as He loved us, and be a family with them, to live as one Church and help one another become better Christians – better Methodists, better Aglipayans, better Catholics, and together, reach out to embrace the sufferings of humanity around us to realize the desire of Jesus “that they may all be one.” (John 17:21)

Carlito and Edna Villaraza