Zamboanga prelate bridged Muslims, Christians divide

Archbishop Romulo De La Cruz | Photo courtesy of CPCPNEWS/Archdiocese of Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — The late Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Tolentino de la Cruz is best remembered here for his role in bridging Christians and Muslims in Basilan province while he led the Church in the province during its tumultuous times in the 1990s.

“We mourn the passing of Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz who served as a father figure for Basilan people for over a decade,” said House Deputy Speaker and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman on Monday.

De la Cruz died at 11 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital while being treated for a lingering illness. He was 74.

The archdiocese is currently under Auxiliary Bishop Moises Cuevas, who was appointed apostolic administrator by Pope Francis on Aug. 11 while De la Cruz was recovering from a stroke, according to a report by CBCPNews, the online news portal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

His death came just two days after celebrating the 49th anniversary of his ordination on Dec. 8, 1972.

‘Strong soul’

De la Cruz was first assigned to the prelature of Isabela in Basilan in 1988 as coadjutor bishop. He assumed as bishop the following year until 2001. He became archbishop of Zamboanga in 2014 after heading the dioceses in Antique and Cotabato provinces.

Hataman recalled that De la Cruz led Basilan’s Catholic flock at a time when the island province “was in turmoil.”

The security challenges did not stop De la Cruz from “actively bridging peace between Muslims and Christians” living in the province, Hataman said.

During De la Cruz’s time, the bandit group Abu Sayyaf was on the rise and targeted the clergy and kidnapped four priests, including Claretian Rhoel Gallardo, who was killed by terrorists 45 days after his abduction on March 20, 2000.

Amid the attacks, De la Cruz “was a strong soul who overcame all the challenges in Basilan in those days and kept his faith strong in the midst of attacks against Christian believers,” Hataman said.

Ozamiz Archbishop Martin Jumoad, who had served as a priest in Basilan, recalled that the Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead De la Cruz and chop him to pieces but he “remained calm and focused as a spiritual leader.”