A Tribute To Bishop Fortich at Diocese of Bacolod, Philippines, Bacolod City, Philippines 6100 PH - Bishop of the Poor

'Bishop of the poor' is dead Posted: By Carla P. Gomez A great loss BACOLOD CITY -- The "bishop of the poor" and "man of peace" who was an outspoken advocate of human rights even in the most trying times of Ferdinand Marcos' rule by martial law, died peacefully in his sleep at the Riverside Medical Center here at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. Bishop Emeritus Antonio Y. Fortich succumbed to systemic infection and multiple organ failure secondary to diabetes, according to his attending physician, Dr. Angel Araneta. Fortich was 89. He was to turn 90 on Aug. 11. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the death of Fortich was a great loss to the Filipino people. "He was a champion of the poor and the oppressed, a courageous vanguard of peace and justice," she said in a statement. "He was blessed by a great faith in God and in the people, whose love and affection he will carry forever." Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin called Fortich "a tireless shepherd and a prophet of the poor and the oppressed." "His courage will always be remembered. The church is blessed for having a valiant pastor like Bishop Fortich," Sin said in a message. "I am sure that wherever he is, he will continue to intercede for us, so that genuine justice and peace may dwell on our land." Fortich was admitted at the RMC Intensive Care Unit on April 28 when he complained of difficulty of breathing and had been surviving on a respirator since. He was transferred on May 16 to a private room of the hospital, where he died Wednesday. He suffered a mild stroke in November. "He was unconscious since Tuesday last week. It was a painless death," Araneta said. Monsignor Victorino Rivas, vicar general of the Diocese of Bacolod, said Fortich's remains would be brought to the San Sebastian Cathedral where the wake will be held until his burial on July 15. Fortich will be buried in the cathedral. His coffin will be ensconced at the wall close to the altar, adjoining the burial places of two other Bacolod bishops, Casimiro Lladoc and Emmanuel Yap. The president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, described Fortich as "a great disciple of Christ, a faithful messenger of the gospel of love and justice, vigorous defender of the poor." He "was very much a part of the prophetic voice of the bishops' conference. His life and ministry testified to building a Catholic Church to be a church of the poor," the CBCP said in a statement. Negros Occidental provincial governor Joseph Marañon said Fortich "exemplified the character of a true pastor of the church." For establishing a cooperative that runs a sugar central to help poor sugar planters, Fortich received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1973. ****************** Brothers in Communion with the Poor Bro. Karl M. Gaspar, CSsR A paper presented at the National Convention of Religious Brothers of the Philippines University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City October 18 to 20, 2002 [In this conference Br. Karl Gaspar presents Oblate Brother Mauricio ZUYCO as an example of a religious brother who is close to the poor and sure of his identity. The author’s considerations may contribute to our own ongoing reflection on the vocation of the Brothers. – Sub-titles added by the editor.] It is very significant that we gather as Brothers here in Bacolod City in time for the Masskara Festival. [“Mass” means people and “kara” face. A festival where revelers don elaborate masks and costumes and dance to Latin rhythms Mardi Gras style.] It provides a symbol useful in probing and celebrating the identity of the Brothers. Bacolod City is, of course, the gateway to the island of Negros. When we hear the name Negros, I am sure various images appear in our minds whether or not this is the first time we visit this island. There is the image of the "social volcano" popularized by the former Bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod, Bishop Antonio Fortich. For anthropologists and historians, there is the image of Papa Isiao, the legendary revolutionary hero whose sacred space in Mt. Kanlaon is akin to Hermano Pule's Mt. Banahaw. There is also the enduring image of the contrast between the rich landlords and the oppressed sacadas, the migratory agricultural workers from Antique whose lives have been chronicled in dramatic documentaries such as the explosive book of Fr. Junie Jesena S.J. entitled The Sacadas of Negros which appeared in the early 70's. As Bro. Armin mentioned […], there is also the image of that boy whose emaciated face appeared on the cover of Asiaweek, revealing the massive extent of hunger and malnutrition here in Negros, during los tiempos muertos, the last years of the autumn of the dictatorship of Marcos when the price of sugar collapsed. I remember that period vividly because 1985 was the year I did my postulancy among the sacadas in La Granja, just outside Bacolod in a sugar cane plantation owned by one of Marcos' cronies. Given these images, I find it most appropriate to share some thoughts and reflections on the topic that was assigned to me, namely, “Brothers in Communion with the Poor.” If there is one, place in the country where poverty in its stark reality can face you squarely in the eye, it is here in Negros. If there is one spot in the entire archipelago where a Brother can truly be in communion with the poor, it is here in Negros – the land of contrasts and contradictions. The leitmotif of the mask – as embodied in the theatre's iconic symbol of the masks of joy and sorrow – is a fitting symbol of this island.

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