Cardinal from Yangon expresses solidarity with the persecuted Christians of the Middle East
Yangon (AsiaNews) – In his Easter message, Card Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon, touched many issues following the “words and deeds” of Pope Francis, and noting that Christ’s resurrection is a time “of mercy and reconciliation”.
In his address, he spoke about the persecuted Christians of the Middle East, victims of a barbarism that "kills, maims and crucifies innocent people in the name of religion", as well as the 30,000 children who die every day from hunger and malnutrition around the world.
He also turned his thoughts to his own country, Myanmar, which is trying hard to get out of the shadows of war and violence, often cast by the State.
Sadly, for the prelate, evil has not yet disappeared from Myanmar and the world for it “continues its terrible work to undo the good.”
Barbarism is at work in the Middle East – where Christians are "innocent victims" massacred "in the name of religion” – and in the world, where ten million children die of malnutrition in the poorest areas, whilst “millions of tonnes of food are wasted” in other parts of the world.
At home, "Our task is not finished," he said, because the nation is still hurting and bleeding. Instead, we need "to work actively for peace" and "promote harmony" between different communities.
Indeed, there is reason to worry in the former Burma, the archbishop of Yangon said. Many issues remain unresolved, from the loss of natural resources – timber, gemstones, the Irrawaddy River – to unfulfilled peace deals between the central government and the country’s ethnic minorities.
In view of this, “We call for a new resurrection of peace and prosperity for all the people,” he said. The country needs reconciliation between communities.
Meanwhile, innocent people continue to die in the northern states of Kachin and Shan. In Rakhine State, thousands of people, including Rohingya Muslims are still displaced, forced to emigrate or survive in makeshift conditions.
For Card Bo, "reconciliation between ethnic groups and the army is possible" and the Burmese Church has been working for dialogue and peace between the parties.
The Archbishop of Yangon also expressed his solidarity and closeness with the students calling for democratic educational reforms, which so far have been met with repression
The students “want to give birth to a new nation, full of hope and opportunities,” the cardinal said. “A new generation struggles to come out of those dark graves [of the past]. Let us not send them back to the graves again.” Hence, “The Church stands firmly with our people in their dream to come out of their enforced graves.”
“Those who thought the Church in Myanmar was buried in the 1960s were rudely woken during the 500-year jubilee. Ours is a resurrected Church. We were buried, but rose in faith.”
“We were the angels of mercy, reaching out to thousands of the poor through education, health and human development. We saw God in our suffering brothers and sisters.”
Ultimately, for the cardinal, hope is alive today in Myanmar because Easter brings hope.
The archdiocese of Yangon is home to about 100,000 Catholics, divided in 39 parishes, in a region, centred on Myanmar’s economic capital, of some 14 million people.
Myanmar is a multi-ethnic nation (with more than 135 different ethnic groups). Although there is no official state religion, Buddhists represent 89 per cent of the population; Christians are 4 per cent (1 per cent Roman Catholic); Muslims 4 per cent; Animists 1 per cent; and others 2 per cent.
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26/03/2018 15:07
