Pinoy chaplain with trapped peacekeepers

MANILA, Philippines - A priest is accompanying the 75 Filipino peacekeepers trapped by Syrian rebels in Golan Heights, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reported.

Military Ordinariate Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak told CBCPNews on Friday that the chaplain is part of the country’s contingent under the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force to “take care of the spiritual needs” of Filipino peacekeeping soldiers.

The chaplain presides over holy masses inside military installations, hears soldiers’ confessions, and provides them spiritual counseling and direction.

Tumulak, however, did not disclose the name of the chaplain, but called on Filipinos to pray for the safety of the peacekeepers.

Syrian rebels have surrounded the encampment of the Filipino troops and demanded that they surrender their weapons, but the peacekeepers stood their ground.