Local PIMEs overjoyed at release of kidnapped priest
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 27, 2007
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PIME Photo
PIME Fr. Sergio Fossati (left), now mission director of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions at their U.S. headquarters in Detroit, with recently freed kidnap victim PIME Fr. Giancarlo Bossi in a photo in the Phillippines in the early 1990s. | Detroit — Local members of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions were "overjoyed" at the news July 19 of the release of PIME Fr. Giancarlo Bossi after 39 days of captivity in the southern Philippines.
The PIME Fathers had been praying for the release of Fr. Bossi, 57, who had been kidnapped by persons associated with the Abu Sayyaf Muslim terrorist organization on the island of Mindinao.
"We worked together in the Philippines from 1990-93," said PIME Fr. Sergio Fossati, mission director at the PIMEs' U.S. headquarters in Detroit.
He said Fr. Bossi reported he had not been mistreated, but had lost a lot of weight during his time as a captive. "He said he lost 15 kilograms, which would be 30-some pounds, but I saw the picture of him and would say it must be more like 50 pounds," Fr. Fossati said.
"You have to understand, he stands 6-feet, 4-inches tall, and weighed about 300 pounds before his ordeal. His name is Giancarlo, but the Filipinos – who are mostly fairly short – called him 'Giant-Carlo,'" Fr. Fossati continued.
He added that Fr. Bossi's kidnappers kept on the move, and all they had to eat was rice and dried fish.
In an interview from Zamboanga City, Fr. Bossi told Asia News that his captors told him they had taken him on behalf of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, which is believed to have ties to al-Quida, and that they hoped for a large ransom.
Fr. Fossati said PIME did not pay a ransom for Fr. Bossi's return, nor did it pay a ransom when Fr. Luciano Benedetti, PIME, was kidnapped in 1998.
"I worked with him, too," Fr. Fossati said.
Fr. Benedetti was also eventually released, but two PIME missionaries have been killed in the Philippines – one by militiamen allied to the former Ferdinand Marcos regime just shortly before it fell, and another by Muslim extremists on Mindanao.
Muslims make up only about 6 percent of the Filipino population, but are 90-some percent of the population in some parts of Mindinao, Fr. Fossati said.
The way many of them practice Islam, however, would doubtless scandalize Muslims in other parts of the world. "Filipinos generally like to drink beer, and pork is the main meat for festivals. Many Muslims will also drink beer and eat pork, but only at night 'when Allah is sleeping,' they'll tell you," Fr. Fossati said.
He said violent behavior is uncharacteristic for Filipinos: "For the most part, Filipinos are so kind and generous."
And terrorist activity in western Mindanao had declined greatly since 200 American military personnel were stationed nearby as part of the war on terror following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, Fr. Fossati added.
Twenty-two PIME missionaries currently serve in the Philippines, mostly on Mindanao, he said. One exception is former Detroit PIME priest Fr. Steve Baumbusch, pastor of Mary, Queen of Apostles Parish, which serves about 105,000 Catholics near Manila's international airport.
In Rome, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, said, "The pope prayed each and every day" for Fr. Bossi. "The news of his release brings great joy to the entire Church and also for the Holy Father. Our prayers have been answered," Fr. Lombardi said.
In interviews after his release, Fr. Bossi said a good thing about his experience is that he quit smoking. "I haven't touched a cigarette since June 27," he said, when he had trouble catching his breath as his captors led him up a hill.
— Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
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