On 29 May 2024, on the 47th anniversary of his religious profession, Fr Amado Picardal CSsR died suddenly at the age of 69. He was a member of the Cebu Province in the Philippines. A few hours before his death, he posted on social media thanking God “for the grace and strength to remain faithful to the solemn promise I made through the years”.
“Fr Picx was a brilliant and courageous missionary. He was a passionate advocate for peace and social justice and a professor of theology who touched and transformed the lives of many,” recalls Fr Edilberto Cepe, CSsR, provincial superior of Cebu.
Fr. Rogério Gomes CSsR, Superior General, in his letter to the Redemptorists of the Cebu Province, calls the late Fr Picardal ‘a missionary on the way’ and says: “I am not just referring to the physical activity he liked to do but to his spiritual life and ecclesial contribution in favour of justice, peace, the care of our common home and the empowerment of the laity. Many of the gestures and signs that Fr. Picx made in his life remind us that he was a missionary of hope and that he followed in the footsteps of the Redeemer in the various communities he accompanied.” /The full text is available below/
The bishops’ Episcopal Commission of Basic Ecclesial Communities expressed sadness over Fr Picardal’s death, who also served as its former executive secretary (2011-2017): “We remember him not only for his leadership but also for his unwavering faith and passion for social justice,” it said. “May his spirit continue to inspire us to build a more just and loving world.”
Fr. Amado Picardal, a doctor of theology, lecturer, and missionary known for his passion for cycling and walking pilgrimages, is remembered as a great promoter of peace and defender of human rights in the Philippines.
The missionary spoke out against extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s long tenure in Davao City. “For the past 20 years, I have been one of the voices documenting and denouncing the extrajudicial killings that started in Davao and spread throughout the country,” he said in 2021.
In 2017, the priest wrote a detailed report on the ‘Davao Death Squad’ from 1998 to 2015, which he said was included in the information sent to the International Criminal Court.
In the same year, 2017, Fr. Picardal received an award from the Human Rights Commission in Manila. The commission praised him for working to inform about the government’s war on drugs and expose the human rights violations that caused the campaign.
In 2017, Fr Amado Picardal participated in the International Congress at the Shrine of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, with a lecture on Devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Philippines. “The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is not only an Icon of love but also an Icon of Mercy and Compassion,” he said.
From 2019 to 2022, Fr Picardal was a member of the St Alphonsus community in Rome. During that time, he was secretary of the Commission for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation of the Union of Superiors General. At the same time, he was chaplain of the Filipino Community at the Shrine of Perpetual Help in Rome.
After his return to the Philippines, he continued his missionary activities and was a columnist for the CBCP Monitor, the official publication of the Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Father Amado Picardal died of ‘cardiac arrest’ in Cebu City on 29 May 2024. The funeral service will be held at the Redemptorist Church in Cebu at 9 am (local time) on 6 June.
Scala News
Letter from General Superior, Fr. Rogério Gomes CSsR
To THE REDEMPTORIST PROVINCE OF CEBU
Rome, 30 May 2024
Dear Fr. Edilberto Cepe, Confreres, Students, Lay and Redemptorist Family,
I have received the sad news of the death of Father Amado Picardal CSsR, with whom I had the opportunity to live and share much in Rome while he served as Secretary of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the USG (Union of Superiors General) and at the same time, chaplain of the Philippine Community of our Shrine.
I can describe the many qualities of Fr. Picx, however, I would like to summarize them in a single phrase: “A missionary on the way.” I am not referring only to the physical activity that he liked to do, but to his spiritual life and the ecclesial contribution in favour of Justice, Peace, the Care for our Common Home and the empowerment of the laity. Many of the gestures and signs that Fr. Picx made in his life reminded us that he was a missionary of hope and that he followed in the footsteps of the Redeemer in the different communities he accompanied.
In the midst of sadness, hope and gratitude arise for the witness of perseverance of Fr. Picx, who, faithful to our “fourth religious vow”, showed constancy in his religious life and in his missionary commitment. Let us pray that, through the intercession of our Mother of Perpetua! Help, vocations to the religious and lay life of our Congregation may continue to flourish.
Fraternally in the Redeemer,
Fr. Rogério Gomes CSsR
