Manila (AsiaNews) - Until 2 days ago, January 30th was the day of death for two men, Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan. Sentenced to die today by lethal injection for their connections to a kidnapping for ransom in 1999, the execution of these two men has been stayed by a decision of the Supreme Court.

Held instead was a Mass of Thanksgiving for all of the over 1000 inmates on the death row in Manila's National Penitentiary. Affirming the position of the Filipino bishops against the use of the death penalty, today Military Ordinary Bishop Ramon Arguelles,  participated in a day of prayer and fasting for the abolition of capital punishment in the Philippines.

 In a morning Mass held in the open air, but within the confines of death row,  Bishop Arguelles and concelebrant Mons. Roberto Olaguer, chaplain for the National Penitentiary, offered prayers of gratitude for the 30- day suspension of the execution of Lara and Licayan.

Pausing before Cell 1-C-1,  which is set aside for those in queue for execution, Bishop Arguelles touched the statue of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, which he had personally given the prisoners.  Since February 1, 2000, when the first Mass by the Bishop  was held inside the Penitentiary,  he  placed the cause of the inmates under the special patronage of the Saint. So essential to the Bishop was St. Therese's presence among the prisoners, that he donated a statue of her to the inmates, and led a procession with her relics inside the death row compound, without the permission of the prison authorities. Since that time, no executions have taken place.

What may be a coincidence to some, others view as a miracle. With the last execution on January 4, 2000,  the then President Joseph Estrada, declared a year moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the Philippines in honor of the Jubilee year declared by Pope John Paul II.

 Reinstated by current president Gloria Arroyo, executions are scheduled for 100 men in the next few months

 Yet scheduled to die today, Lara and Licayan have instead written an open letter thanking the President, the Supreme Court, and all those who prayed for them.

Joined by still other members of the Church in his appeal to end state executions, the bishop stated in his morning homily that "numerous persons around the world are praying for Filipino prisoners and the abolition of the capital punishment law." Addressing to all listeners he asked: "I am inviting you all not to forget to ask God, the Blessed Mother and the saints, especially St. Therese of the Child Jesus, to help us and our government put this law aside. Likewise, let  us pray for those in government who are pushing for this institutional violence."

Another Eucharistic Celebration, with Jesuit Father Silviano Borres of the Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and human rights activist Father Robert Reyes concelebrating, will be held this afternoon at the prison parish of Our Lady of Mercy inside the compound,  in thanksgiving and culmination of a 9-day novena said for the end of the executions. (SE)