 The Mindanao War in the 1970s shattered the prelature's dream of Christians and Muslims living peacefully side by side.This was aggravated by the kidnapping of a Spanish Claretian priest in 1987 who had devoted many years of his priestly life in Basilan attending to the spiritual needs of Christians and the economic needs of the poorer Muslims.Bishop Romulo dela Cruz became the Prelate Ordinary of Basilan in 1989 upon the retirement of Bishop Querexeta.