Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jesuit Archbishop's War Time Diary

Archbishop James T.G. Hayes, S.J.
A Jesuit missionary in Cagayan de Oro City kept a diary of the Japanese war in northern Mindanao. For security, he excluded personal names, but he could not pass over the "terrible days during the occupation, during the puppet Republic of the Japs." It covers a period of three years less three months, but here we cite only a few passages of the lengthy manuscript. Without any provocation or "just cause," the Japanese attacked the Philippines. On Jan. 2, 1942, Manila fell. Bishop James T. G. Hayes, S. J. of Cagayan left his convento and the cathedral for a safer place chosen by the commanding officer of the USAFFE. He left as vicar in charge of the diocese a Filipino Jesuit, the author of this diary.
An excerpt of that diary.
A Filipino Jesuit missionary went to Dansalan to minister to the people there. On July 1, 19__, guerrillas attacked the barracks the Japanese had built in the town. The missionary hid in a foxhole, but the Japanese caught him. They tied him up for interrogation. Many times, the poor missionary had to raise his voice and weep loudly as a little boy, according to a Filipino caught with him. They slapped him, kicked him from head to foot, hit every part of his body, and clubbed his shoulders.
Link (here) to read the article at Business World

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