Chilean Miners Taught Everyone Lessons Sbout Life, God

MANILA, Oct. 15, 2010-The successful rescue of 33 miners trapped under scorching desert in Chile brought important lessons that everyone can learn from, the Archbishop of Manila said.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said he wished Filipinos would learn from the miners' experience.

He attributed the rescue's success to three factors which include the power of prayer, the mining company's and government's determination to save the miners, and the third, the miners' resolve to remain united and will to cooperate with one another.

Cardinal Rosales said he personally watched the developments on television and joined the millions of people who waited with bated breath as rescuers pulled the miners one by one from the dark pit some 624 meters (2,047 feet) below the earth's surface.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera was quoted saying his country was "more united and stronger than ever," and "more valued" worldwide because of what happened.

"From the interviews with the rescued miners, the ideal of God always came out," the 78-year old prelate said. He said the miners never lost hope and they knew God was with them all the way during their ordeal.

All the miners had their stories to tell, from following a butterfly after the dirt and dust settled several days after the tunnel's collapse. The miner said he believed the butterfly was an angel sent by God to guide him to safety.

"Another miner admitted living with a woman without the benefit of marriage and that marrying her in Church rites would be his first task after being rescued," the cardinal further said.

The archbishop added that before one can even talk of technology, the survivors felt closer to God.

He explained that "the Chilean government exhausted all possible efforts, calling on foreign governments and companies to help them in the rescue efforts; everybody showed care and concern and helped everyone to get the miners alive."

"Magandang leksyon ito para sa atin at hindi sila nawalan ng pag-asa," (The steadfast hope they had shown is a great lesson for us to imitate), the prelate said.

He said the wife of one of the miners who gave birth to a baby girl originally named Carolina, opted to change the child's name into Esperanza which means hope in Spanish.

Cardinal Rosales also expressed his appreciation on the rescuers' efforts to go down the shaft and personally check on the trapped miners below the earth's surface. He said professionalism was accompanied by prayers; with people cooperating with each other and openly praying for the miners.

Media accounts revealed the miners had only 48 hours worth of rations when part of the San Jose copper and gold mine at Atacama Desert collapsed on August 5. After 17 days of continuous drilling, the rescuers made contact with the trapped miners. (Melo M. Acuna)