ASIA/MYANMAR - New appeal from the Pope, Sister Ann Nu Twang: "He is close to our suffering people"

Wednesday, 17 March 2021 pope francis dialogue violence peace orders nuns

MYANMAR

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Yangon (Agenzia fide) - "The words of Pope Francis comfort us at this time when we see our hearts broken by so much violence and suffering of innocent people. We even feel powerless and helpless in the face of the evil that continues. Our hope is placed in God and we ask for the help of the international community". This is what a Catholic priest from the diocese of Yangon said to Agenzia Fides, preferring to remain anonymous for security reasons, after the new appeal from Pope Francis who, at the end of the General Audience on March 17, , mentioned Myanmar: "Once again, and with great sorrow - said the Pontiff - I feel it is urgent to mention the dramatic situation in Myanmar, where many people, especially the young, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country". He continued, ideally referring to the gesture of Sister Ann Nu Tawng, a Catholic nun working in the city of Myitkyina, whose photos have been published in the media all over the world: "I too kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say: End the violence! I too reach out my arms and say: may dialogue prevail!".
In an interview with Sister Ann Nu Tawng, nun of the Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier, to Agenzia Fides, she declared:: "We are deeply grateful to the Pope because he remembers us. He knows Myanmar, he was among us in 2017. We are comforted and encouraged by the fact that the Pope supports with us the end of all violence and the establishment of a dialogue. I am surprised that, as has been reported to me, his words may have been inspired by my gesture of kneeling down and raising my hands to the sky. I did it with my heart. These are the actions of every Christian who has humanity at heart".
Sister Ann continues: "We suffer alongside our people. The violence does not stop and the injured are increasing day by day. Private clinics here in the Kachin State (northern Myanmar) are closed for fear of the military. Our small clinic is among the few structures open, we are able to treat the less seriously injured, for the rest we are in serious difficulty. Some die. However, in the midst of these tribulations, today we had a great sign of hope: alongside the words of the Pope two pregnant women, slightly injured and hospitalized in our clinic, gave birth to their babies, a little boy and a little girl. Every life is precious. We will not abandon our mission which is to heal the wounded, to console the afflicted and to defend all human life. The Pope is by our side, he is close to our suffering people". (PA-JZ) (Agenzia Fides, 17/3/2021)