Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kompong Cham (Agenzia Fides) - At least 3,000 Catholics from all over the country gathered in central Cambodia on Sunday 3 December to celebrate with joy the closing of Jubilee celebrations to commemorate 450 years of the presence of the Catholic Church in Cambodia (see Fides 29/11/2006). During the solemn concelebration of the Eucharist presided by Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio and concelebrated by the local Ordinaries, it was underlined that the mission of the Church, started about 2,000 years ago, continues with courage, fidelity and perseverance, even in this land of Cambodia.
On the occasion of this solemn Concelebration the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI through the secretary of state Card. Tarcisio Bertone, wished to render himself present through his Apostolic Blessing. Also Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, recalled in a message that the history of the Church in Cambodia “after the period of harsh trials, can be compared to that of the early Church in Jerusalem and Rome”.
In fact the place chosen for the celebration of 450 years of presence of the Catholic Church in Cambodia is highly symbolic: here the first Cambodian bishop died of hardship under the Red Khmer regime in 1976. Amidst the rice fields, off the tourist track, thousands of Christians praised the Lord on this First Sunday of Advent. “Although the Good News reached Cambodia late- said Card. Dias -, this delay must not be considered discrimination with regard to the people of Cambodia, but rather a motive for gratitude for the infinite goodness of God, who takes on workers for his vineyard at all hours of the day and treats the first and the last with the same benevolence”.
Among Cambodia’s population of 14 million, 25,000 are Catholics. Not long ago a Catholic community of 200 Cambodians was found in the north of the country in an area only accessible by boat. These Catholics isolated, without seeing a priest persevered in prayer for 30 years. Today some members of that community had the joy of meeting brothers and sisters at the Jubilee celebrations and thanking God for the gift of the faith. (B.C.) (Agenzia Fides 4/12/2006; righe 28, parole 392)
