The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) has appointed Fr. Christian Buenafe, O.Carm. as its new Co-Executive Secretary and National Coordinator of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPICC).
In a letter to Fr. Rico Ponce, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of the Philippine Province, Fr. Angel Cortez, OFM and Sr. Happy Montecillo, DSA, outgoing AMRSP Co-Executive Secretaries, mentioned that the appointment was decided and approved during the AMRSP Joint Executive Board meeting of Men and Women Major Religious Superiors headed by Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM and Sr. Marilyn Java, RC.
The appointment was announced during the AMRSP National Convention Online with the theme “Singkwenta sa Limang Siglo- 50 Years of AMRSP on the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines: Celebrating the Gift of Consecrated Life in Mission at the Service of God and of Humanity” held on April 28-30, 2021.
The task entails the supervision of the day-to-day operations of the association’s secretariat, coordination with its member institutes and congregations, and as representative of the association to partners and networks.
The JPICC National Coordinator, meanwhile, is the key person in the Conference who will facilitate, coordinate, and establish networks and partnerships for JPIC advocacies, concerns and issues. He will also represent the Conference on meetings and assemblies concerning JPIC.
Fr. Buenafe has been involved in numerous JPIC advocacies and has spoken in national and international bodies, raising concerns of justice and peace in the Philippines, particularly on extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.
He currently chairs the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), a mission partner of AMRSP, the convenor of Philippine Carmelite’s JPIC and Social Action Commission, and sits in the International General Commission on Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation of the Order of Carmelites based in Rome.
Fr. Buenafe was likewise elected on April 24, 2021 as Vice Chairperson of the recently concluded congress of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), a federation of human rights organizations and human rights defenders in the country and abroad.
The AMRSP Executive Secretaries are co-terminus positions with the current leadership and the JPIC Commission National Coordinator office serves a term of three years.
Fr. Buenafe will work together with Sr. Cleofe Trance, OP, his Co-Executive Secretary.
After 50 years, the AMRSP Convention had also approved the change of name of the group, and now be called the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP). (Photo from the Facebook of Fr. Christian Buenafe, O.Carm.).
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