ASIA/CAMBODIA - Apostolic Vicar Schmitthaeusler: "Pope Leo's presence is a source of courage, joy and communion"

Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) - "The young faithful in Cambodia experienced an explosion of joy on May 8th because we have a Pope, the Shepherd of the universal Church. For them and for all Cambodians, he, as the Good Shepherd, is a source of courage, joy, and communion. We are deeply moved by the motto 'In him who is one, we are one.' And we are impressed that he began his ministry with the greeting of the Risen Christ: Peace be with you. We sensed that this greeting of peace was addressed to us, the Cambodian faithful," said Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, in a statement to Fides, expressing the feelings of the Cambodian faithful following the election of Pope Leo XIV.
"The election of the new Pope," he reports, "took place while 300 young Cambodians were participating in a pilgrimage for the Holy Year. With the young people, we tried to let the voice of Jesus penetrate our hearts: Come and see." "As pilgrims of hope," he continued, "we passed through the Holy Door, prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, remembered our martyrs, and venerated Mary, our Mother. And we gave thanks for the election of Pope Leo XIV. Let us ask the Lord to fill him with all his graces so that he can guide and enlighten us in this world darkened by war, consumerism, and selfishness."
"The Cambodian Church today is celebrating and waiting. It is a small community that walks the paths of hope," says the bishop, emphasizing the words courage, joy, hope." "The Lord," he emphasizes, "through the guidance of Pope Leo, gives us the courage to overcome the obstacles, the misery of our lives, the misfortunes of the world, the injustices in our society, which must not make us doubt God's love and mercy for ourselves and for the world." Furthermore, he continues, "we have in our hearts the joy of the baptized, the joy of youth, the joy of being friends of Jesus, the joy of being children of the Church of Cambodia, the joy of having a new Shepherd for our Church, the joy of having Mary as our Mother."
Finally, the Apostolic Vicar adds, "we enjoy communion with God: we are one in him, with the Holy Father and the universal Church, with our priests, our parishes, with our brothers and sisters, for we are a family loved and chosen by God, with our people." (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 22/5/2025)

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