Di Catholic Church for Myanmar no dey stop to dey do work, even as civil war don tear di kontri for over five years. New church wey dem dedicate to Saint Remigius for Diocese of Pathein, for central-western Myanmar, na one of di signs say church life dey continue. Bishop Henry Eikhlein of Pathein call am a gift of di Holy Spirit, a sign of God wey dey work despite uncertainty and insecurity. During di consecration, 70 young people receive Sacrament of Confirmation. Di bishop urge di people to always hope, in every circumstance, and remember God works.
For Yangon, di Servite Fathers dey run education initiative for village about two hours outside di city. Priests, sisters, and volunteers dey teach hundreds of children from both Catholic and Buddhist families. Di demand don soar for di past three years. Di project go beyond standard curriculum, acting as true laboratory for peace. E dey help children and young people to overcome war trauma and look to future with hope.
Farther north, for Sagaing region, over 50 catechists gather at Sacred Heart Church for Diocese of Kalay for training course. Di training get double purpose: to update dem on tools and methods for catechesis, and to offer space to gather, reconnect, share experiences, and find strength through God and fraternity to persevere in difficult situations marked by violence, instability, poverty, and displacement. Father Joseph Kap Tung Nung, priest from Kalay, remind di catechists say dem be guiding light for community wey dey frightened, wounded, disoriented, and at times despairing.
Di church mission dey move forward, sowing Gospel of peace amid changing socio-political context. For early April, di head of military junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, dem elect am as president by Myanmar bicameral parliament. After five years of civil war wey kill over 90,000 people, di general now officially head government wey dey ask international community to recognize am. Significant development also happen for opposition side, wey sign new agreement wey include closer military coordination among various groups and pact to form federal state. Di self-proclaimed National Unity Government (NUG), for exile, wey dem form after 2020 elections, don agree to limit im powers, favouring formal, inclusive, structured agreement wey go provide dedicated Council for creating Federal Democratic Union, project wey Burmese military historically oppose. According to some observers, dis move to unify and strengthen opposition fit also affect di military conflict.
Due to di civil war, five bishops from 17 dioceses don forced to abandon dem episcopal sees and cathedrals and take up residence for parishes for safer areas, far from clashes between army and rebel groups. Di bishops na of di dioceses of Pekhon, Loikaw, Banmaw, Mindat, and Lashio, Bishop Felice Ba Htoo of Pekhon explain to Fides. Di prelate describe di suffering wey di country pastors dey endure for di past five years. Many parishes don close because dem damage or attack or lose dem faithful. Di bishops of Myanmar currently dey Vatican for dem ad limina Apostulorum visit. Today dem meet Pope Leo XIV, discuss di country situation and pray for peace and reconciliation.
Bishop Felice Ba Htoo describe im current mission: We no know wetin future hold. We live for present, trusting God. Our task na to be close to di people, to di internally displaced scattered throughout di country: some for jungle, others for refugee camps, others for villages less affected by violence. We try to meet dem, console dem, and offer dem word of hope. With di Catholics, we celebrate di sacraments. We encourage dem to live for spirit of fraternity, cooperation, and mutual support, so dem fit overcome dis time of hardship. People dey weary and traumatized by conflict wey continue for five years. For dis context of trial and suffering, we live our pilgrimage of hope. Priests, religious, and catechists remain close to di population, preaching peace and reconciliation to prevent hatred from prevailing. We trust God and pray for time of light for our future.
Di bishop also describe serious humanitarian situation for di diocese, wey receive at least 40,000 newly displaced people from various faiths, seeking safe areas, especially for western part of di diocesan territory. Access to water don become determining factor for di displacements. People dey look for places where water dey, because e scarce for di area. For early years of conflict, local communities generously share land and resources, but after five years of war, situation don deteriorate: now residents must support dem own families and no longer get resources to share. Di humanitarian situation don worsen. Currently, thousands of displaced people live for more than 30 camps for di region, while others survive for makeshift settlements.
Church life don also profoundly affect. I don leave di pastoral center for Pekhon and move to parish for village, dedicated to di Blessed Virgin Mary. We don close about seven of di 16 existing parishes. Of di approximately 60,000 Catholics for di diocese, many don leave dem communities and move to rural areas with dem families. Destruction of churches and convents don report, especially for central area of di diocese, where di largest Catholic population and main infrastructure previously concentrate. Di diocesan priests dey live alongside di displaced for di camps, sharing dem daily lives. People trust dem and feel protected. Religious men and women and catechists continue to sustain community life, ensuring, as far as possible, di celebration of Sunday Mass, di education of children, and support for displaced families. For us, priests and nuns, e essential to accompany traumatized people. Dat na our main concern: to show dem say di Lord continue to love dem. Di situation critical. Violence don plague us for five years. People dey exhausted, but dem pray with tears for dem eyes, with deep and sincere words. Dem pray di rosary, go to churches or makeshift chapels, and participate in Eucharistic adoration. Dis no be small thing: e mean dem maintain dem faith for God and no lose hope for better future.
