Fr. D'Ambra knighted by the Italian Republic for his commitment in Mindanao

A PIME missionary in the Philippines since 1977, he received the Order of the Star of Italy, one of the highest honours of his country of origin, at the embassy in Manila. Founder of the Silsilah movement for dialogue between Christians and Muslims, he sees this recognition as ‘a challenge to do more to help bring out the good in every person’.

Manila (AsiaNews) - On 1 October, in a ceremony held at the embassy in Manila, the Italian Republic awarded Fr Sebastiano D'Ambra, a PIME missionary, the Order of the Star of Italy, known as the title of Knight of the Italian Republic, in recognition of his decades of commitment to interreligious dialogue, peace and harmony in the Philippines.

The honour expresses the country's gratitude to figures who, through their significant contributions, promote friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and the whole world. In the case of Fr D'Ambra, the appreciation goes to his extraordinary and lasting commitment to the cause of interreligious dialogue, peace and understanding between different cultures on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

‘In my mission in the Philippines from 1977 to today, I have done many things, and many know me for founding the Silsilah Dialogue Movement (www.silsilahdialogue.com), for promoting interreligious dialogue, especially between Christians and Muslims,’ Fr. D'Ambra told AsiaNews.

Over the years, he has also served as executive secretary of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). ‘The new recognition from the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, is for me a sign of attention and a challenge to do more,’ added the missionary.

In his speech during the award ceremony, Fr D'Ambra thanked the Italian ambassador to the Philippines, Davide Giglio, and all those present. ‘I said that I always want to be like the Good Samaritan, ready to get off my “horse” to pay attention to those who are “along the road”, to help, sharing my love and compassion,’ he said.

His long experience of dialogue, especially between Christians and Muslims, has led him to deepen the idea that ‘dialogue starts with God and brings people back to God. We are only poor instruments in his hands,’ he explains. ‘And this means that we must be guided by love in our mission, convinced that radical love is needed for radical change.’

‘I hope that the recognition received today,’ concludes Fr. D'Ambra, ‘will inspire many to believe that, in the deepest part of every person, there is always a corner of goodness. For this reason, we must descend to the level of those in need, descend from our position to accompany many towards the true Star, which is God and His love.’