WAIS Documents

Activist Nuns

Edith Coliver , who for years was associated with the Asia Foundation, writes that she is preparing a book on contemporary activist nuns in the Philippines. She would like to know if anyone else is working on the same subject. I asked her to define "activist" nuns. Was she referring to liberation theology? She replied:

"My definition of activists are those that ACTIVELY PROMOTE SOCIAL ENDS. The nuns I am writing about, individually, are promoting, or have promoted, human rights, the rights of minorities, curbed prostitution or sex trips, protection of the environment, a sound constitution, etc. While Vatican II helped, in part, women in the church to pursue independently, defined goals, liberaion theology is only one of these."

This is the centennial of the 1898 war with Spain, which liberated the Philippines. There is a parallel with Cuba. The U.S. turned out to be the beneficiary in both cases, triggering anti-American guerrilla action whose leaders became national heroes. Spain, Cuba, and the Philippines were united in their resentment. The Catholic Church was conservative (in the Philippines, Cardinal Sin still is). King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia recently went to Manila to "celebrate" the 1898 centennial. They inaugurated a "Spanish village" to commemorate the islands' Spanish heritage (now pretty dead), but I saw no reference to the Jesuit-run Santo Tomas University. I know nothing about activist Catholic nuns, but if you do, tell Edith Coliver.

Correction

I thank Professor Francisco Ramirez of the Stanford School of Education , who is from the Philippines, for correcting my memo about Edith Coliver's research:

THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS IS RUN BY THE ORDER OF PREACHERS BETTER KNOWN AS THE DOMINICAN FRIARS. THE SOCIETY OF JESUS BETTER KNOWN AS THE JESUITS RUNS THE ATENEO UNIVERSITY. SPANISH HERITAGE IS INDEED PRETTY DEAD. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF FILIPINOS SPEAK SPANISH.

True. I didn't see any reference to the Ateneo University either.

Ronald Hilton, 03/15/98

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