THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Friday urged the Bureau of Immigration to reconsider its order to Australian missionary nun Patricia Fox to leave the Philippines.
The bureau had given the 71-year-old nun 30 days to leave the country after it canceled her missionary visa on Monday.
The bureau claims Fox had been engaging in partisan political activities.
“In this recent development, we sincerely make an appeal that the authorities make a reconsideration of their order for Sr. Patricia Fox to leave the country,” CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said in a statement.
The group asked Immigration to give Fox a chance to explain herself.
“Could she be given a chance to stay and continue serving our people?” the group said.
Valles said the CBCP’s plea was based on the news of her situation as reported by the media as the CBCP Secretariat had yet to get more information from Fox’s camp.
The authorities claim that Fox has violated certain Philippine laws, but her counsel is set to submit a counter affidavit in her defense.
The bishops threw their support and prayers behind the nun who, they believe, is keen on finishing her mission in the Philippines.
“Without entering into the merits of both parties in the case, this is for the proper authorities to decide,” Valles said.
“But this we say: We believe in the sincerity and dedication of Sr. Patricia to serve our people. We believe further that she is moved to serve our people by the love of Christ.”
Immigration officials paid a visit to Fox’s house in Quezon City on April 16 and arrested her for allegedly “joining rallies,” and then released her the next day.
But the CBCP said Fox, a member of the Notre Dame de Sion congregation, had spent 27 years in the Philippines helping peasants and indigenous people.