ASIA/MYANMAR - 2010: a year of hope for Myanmar

Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – The year 2010 for Myanmar will be "a year of hope, full of gratitude to the Lord and full of expectations for the Catholic community in the country." This is what Fides was told by Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, who discussed the challenges and expectations for the Church in the former Burma.
"It will be a very important year for us. The Burmese people have high expectations at the social/political level, as the long awaited elections are scheduled to be held. The nation expects to enter into an era of reconciliation, peace, and prosperity, especially for the benefit of new generations. To achieve this goal towards the common good, even the Catholic Church, in its smallness, will make a contribution," the Archbishop told Fides.
Archbishop Bo said that "the verse that inspires us is that of Isaiah: 'The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.' Christ is our light and our hope that continues to guide humanity through the greatest darkness."
"The Church in Myanmar in 2010 is driven by a renewed and a new found hope. Because of man's interference with nature, we were hit in the past by some natural disasters like Cyclone Nargis, which has deeply hurt our people, leaving behind thousands dead and widespread destruction. But this mournful event was also a great opportunity for solidarity that was manifested in the nation, with the help of many organizations abroad. As the Catholic Church, in 2009 through the work of Caritas, we helped those affected through rebuilding thousands of homes, humanitarian aid, and bringing kids back to school, an opportunity for education which is vital for their future."
This work, Bishop Bo notes, will continue in 2010, with the Church's hope that it is truly a year in which peace and welfare may come to the Burmese people. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/1/2010)