It was a surprise and joy for us when the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) requested us to attend the Silsilah Summer Course in 1997 in Zamboanga City, Philippines.
We have been always blessed by the participation to our courses of bishops and other important and respected leaders of the government, as well as leaders from the academe and many other sectors of society, but here I wish to share the great lesson of dialogue that we in Silsilah and the participants of the Summer Course in 1997 learned from Archbishop Soter that few years ago was elected cardinal and few days ago passed away on October 28, 2020. From Zenit Agency we have learned that,
Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop emeritus of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was born April 22, 1932 in Sungai Patani, in the diocese of Penang, to a family of Indian origin.
He was ordained a priest on December 10th, 1966. On September 29th, 1977 he was appointed as bishop of Penang and received episcopal consecration on February 17th, 1978. On July 2nd, 1993, he was appointed as metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, which he led until April 15th, 2003. Since then, he resided in the major seminary of Penang, where he devoted himself to the formation of priests as spiritual director.
He served as president of the Episcopal Conference of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei for two terms: from 1987 to 1990 and again from 2000 to 2003. Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the Nov. 19, 2016, consistory.
From the Asian News
In his message, Pope Francis noted Card. Soter Fernandez’s “generous service to the Church in Malaysia and his longstanding commitment to the promotion of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue”.
Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez was convinced that the Church had an important role to play in Malaysia’s development and growth. To this end, he devoted himself to the integral development of his people, fighting against social injustices and promoting dialogue in a multiracial and multicultural society.
It is a tradition during the annual Silsilah Summer Course that all the participants have to stay together, eating and studying together Islam, Christianity and the basic concepts of dialogue. The most touching experience we received from Archbishop Soter was when we sent him on exposure during this course. Normally we send our participants from three consecutive weekends for an immersion program. The Christians are sent to live with Muslim families and Muslims with Christian families are formed by Silsilah to welcome the participants and share the life of a normal Muslim or Christian family in the spirit of dialogue, we call them “Foster Parents”. Often they are poor and simple families of Zamboanga and the nearby island of Sta. Cruz where Silsilah has an elementary school.
I remember that the Muslim family of Tony Sampang, told me that they felt honored to have Archbishop Soter with them and they still continue to share this experience to other Muslim friends and leaders. In few occasions, they told me that by coincidence their son was working in Malaysia and in few occasions he went to visit the Archbishop in Kuala Lumpur and he treated him as a special guest in his house.
After the experience of the Summer Course, Archbishop Soter sent to the Silsilah Summer Course priests, sisters and other lay leaders. Personally, I was invited by him in Kuala Lumpur to share the experience of Silsilah and the Muslim-Christian Dialogue in the Philippines to an important gathering of the bishops of Malaysia and other neighboring countries.
We are called today to remember models and prophets of dialogue and among them we can put also Card. Soter. This is a great inspiration not only for us in Silsilah, but also for the Catholic Church that this year is celebrating in the Philippines, the year of Interreligious Dialogue, also Ecumenism and Indigenous Peoples.
On my part as Executive Secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission for interreligious Dialogue and as part of Silsilah, I always encourage leaders to promote the spirit of dialogue and the Culture of Dialogue. Indeed, Card. Soter is a great example to remember and to imitate. He encourages us to move on (Padayon!), in spite of the increasing violence covered by religious motives. Meanwhile, persecution continue even now here and in many parts of the world, especially for the Christians. Pope Francis commenting on this reality said, “in the history of Christianity, Christians have suffered and have been persecuted in many parts of the world and now even more”.
May the example of dialogue of Card. Soter reminds us the mission of love in ‘the midst of divisions and conflicts”
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME
Founder, Silsilah Dialogue Movement
Executive Secretary, CBCP-ECID