MANILA — Australian nun Patricia Anne Fox urged the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to release a statement on the rights of foreign missionaries to renew their visas.
Fox was referring to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the CBCP on the issuance of missionary visas and its extension.
“I think it is an issue that the Church has to look at and it needs to come out with a clear statement because it will affect all foreign missionaries in the long term,” the Catholic nun said in a forum in Quezon City on Wednesday.
“I think the bishops need to clarify on these (issue on) endorsements,” she added.
She noted that it has been a long time practice by all foreign missionaries in the Philippines to apply for a missionary visa that is good for 10 years, and is subject for renewal after getting a temporary downgraded visa.
“The application for the missionary visa must be accompanied by a CBCP endorsement,” Fox said.
Last week, the BI denied Fox’s request for the extension of her missionary visa.
The bureau noted that Fox had already spent 27 years in the country as a missionary, which means that she has already exceeded 10-year prescribed length of stay of missionaries stipulated in the MOA between the BI and the CBCP.
The 72-year old nun has filed an appeal on the BI’s decision. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
