It’s the church being hit – Fox

Australian missionary nun Patricia Fox considers what is happening to her also as an attack to the church.

“For me, this is not just my fight because it seems this is an attack to the whole church, role of foreign missionaries, role of human rights workers,” she said in Filipino at a press briefing in Quezon City, yesterday.

The 71-year-old nun faced the media a day after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) forfeited her missionary visa and ordered her to leave the country on the grounds that she is an “undesirable alien” engaged in political activities.

BI said Fox may still enter and leave the country as a tourist.

Prior to this, Fox was also detained at the BI last April 16 and released the next day.

Sr. Patricia said she was surprised with the BI order.

“It’s difficult to continue the missionary work if you are a tourist. First, we are nuns and we are assigned here not as a tourist,” she said.

Permanent residency

for religious – Bam Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Thursday renewed his call for the passage of a measure seeking to grant permanent residency to foreign religious workers and missionaries.

Aquino made the call following the deportation proceedings the government launched against Sr. Fox.

“Foreign religious workers like Sister Fox are partners for change. Many of them are fighting for the rights and welfare of the poor through outreach work and social missions,” Aquino said.

Aquino is referring to Senate Bill No. 702 or the Permanent Residency to Qualified Religious Workers Act, which he filed last July in 2016.

The bill seeks to recognize the sacrifices of foreign missionaries who chose to serve the Filipino people, leaving the comfort of their homes and their families in their own country. (With a report from Hannah L. Torregoza)