Bishop Antonino Nepomuceno, OMI

BISHOP ANTONINO NEPOMUCENO, OMI

June 13, 1925 – February 14, 1997

Bishop Tony or simply Tony to his friends was born on June 13, 1925 in Bustus, Bulacan. He entered San Jose Seminary at an early age. At the Seminary, he met Fr. Joseph Boyd, OMI and through him got to know about the mission of the Oblates in Cotabato and Sulu. He was attracted to the Oblate MIssionary life and later joined the Oblates.

Tony was sent to Texas for his novitiate and scholasticate. He made his first vows in 1948, and his perpetual vows in 1951. In his fourth year of theology, he was ordained priest (July 10, 1953) and came home to the Philippines on July 10, 1954 to begin his missionary life in MIndanao.

HIs early ministry was in the parishes of Cotabato and Grace Park. His outstanding characteristics were noted during his stint as parish priest of Kidapawan. He was indeed, an exemplary pastor that when the OMI province and the Prelature of Cotabato were looking for a Filipino Auxiliary Bishop, his name was immediately submitted to the Holy See for appointment. Thus, he became the first Filipino Oblate Bishop on August 31, 1969.

After his appointment as auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato, he was given the task to organize the Notre Dame Social Action. This was the period when the Catholic Church was beginning to get involved in development. His dynamic leadership and his firm commitment to the poor transformed the Notre Dame Social Action ministry into one of the most active in the whole Philippines.

With religious and lay co-workers, the Social Action ministry reached practically every nook and corner of the prelature (then the Provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Cotabato City). His pioneering and innovative approach to Social Action put him in the limelight not only in then Prelature of Cotabato but also in the whole Mindanao and the entire Philippines.

His work among the poor and the oppressed went into diffi¬cult times during the Martial Law period. He was a lone voice in the whole Prelature in denouncing the abuses of the Marcos regime. While many church leaders adopted a critical collaboration stance (which actually was more collaboration than critical), Bishop Tony was firm in his struggle for justice and freedom of our people.

His commitment to the poor and the oppressed cost him a great deal. People who were for the status quo labeled him "leftist" or at times "communist".

It was a difficult time. He chose the unpopular and painful struggle, the cause of the poor and the oppressed – the less trodden prophetic ministry of Juatice. While many church authorities were collaborating with Marcos, and receiving all praises from all sides, Bishop Tony was being subjected to all kinds of black propaganda. Sad to say, some of his confreres both in the episcopate and the priesthood and even among Oblate confreres had lent themselves as tools in assailing Bishop Tony's commitment to the poor and the oppressed.

Bishop Tony was offered to become the fist Bishop of the newly created See of Butuan. He refused the offer and instead he announced his retirement on November 11, 1979 as auxillary Bishop of Cotabato.

After his retirement he worked as Director for the Communi¬cation Foundation of Asia under Fr. Lagerway, MSC. In this position, he was able to continue his commitment to the develop¬ment of the poor and his struggle for freedom and democracy.

Another outstanding labor of Bishop Tony was his commitment to Muslim- Christian understanding. Together with Shayk Omar Bajunaid and Episcopalian Bishop Manguramas, he organized the Christian Clergy (Catholics and Protestants) and the Muslim Religious leaders. This organization was effective not only in paving the way for reconciliation and understanding, but also in giving protection for the people who were harassed, imprisoned, and salvaged during the Martial Law years. My first introduction to Muslim-Christian dialogue was through this undertaking that Bishop invited me to join.

In his retirement, Bishop Tony stayed at the OMI Regional House in Manila. For his pastoral work, he was always available to help at Bagong Barrio, the OMI squatter parish, in greater Manila area. He was very active in his struggle for a Nuclear-free Philip¬pines and in the nascent project on renewable source of energy – Solar Energy.. His commitment to the poor and the oppressed remained his ardent singular passion as an Oblate, a veritable missionary of the poor and the most abandoned.

He went to Jolo for the funeral of the martyred Bishop Ben de Jesus and on his return flight after the funeral the plane crushed and killed all the five passengers on the 14th of February 1997. I recognized the burnt body of Bishop Tony through the episcopal ring in his finger.

Tony was a pioneer and a leader in that less trodden prophetic ministry. In that group were Frs. +Beato Tariman, +Primo Hagad, +Romy Villanueva, Jun Mercado, Pol Yazar, Raul Biasbas, Mars Andres, Taddy Castillo, Peding Labaglay, and Gil Votacion.

That prophetic ministry waned when Marcos was ousted and with the accession to power of Pres. Corazon Aquino.

While that tradition is still alive… it is now a marginalized ministry in the myriads of church concerns that are tied to the new understanding of evangelization.

As we celebrate the 22nd death anniversary of Bishop Tony, we reminisce with great nostalgia the years when the OMI’s led by Bishop Tony were in the forefront of Justice and Peace Ministry, particularly in then Prelature of Kidapawan. (Jun Mercado,OMI)

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