Yangon (AsiaNews) – A crowd gathered yesterday to pray in Yangon’s cathedral to honour Pope Francis during a memorial Mass led by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, in the presence of many of the country’s bishops, members of the clergy and diplomatic representatives.
Remembering the pontiff has taken on a particular meaning in Myanmar, a country forgotten by everyone, but not by Francis.
The Catholic community has always considered him a point of reference for his constant attention to the suffering of the population, marked first by international isolation and then by a brutal civil conflict that has lasted for over four years.
During the homily, Mgr Andrea Ferrante, the Holy See's chargé d'affaires, described the main stages in Jorge Mario Bergoglio's life, focusing on his historic trip to Myanmar in 2017, the first by a pope in the country’s history.
"I was in Yangon at the time," says Livio Maggi, who works with New Humanity, an NGO supported by the PIME Foundation, "and I remember well the crowd gathered at the stadium to listen to him."
The event reflected what was happening, with the country opening up economically and politically, seemingly on the cusp of major changes on the path towards democracy.
The papal visit, which took place after the Holy See and Myanmar established diplomatic relations, contributed to this momentum.
"It was certainly a special moment, of great participation on the part of all the dioceses of Myanmar," Maggi explained. “It was not only an important moment for Christians, but also for many Buddhists, who saw in that visit a gesture of recognition, peace and hope, a sign that things were really changing for the country.”
Since then, Pope Francis has never stopped mentioning Myanmar. “He was the only world authority to constantly mention the country, almost every Sunday, during the Angelus," Maggi noted.
Such concern has also meant concrete choices, like opening a permanent nunciature in Yangon, separate from that of Bangkok, with a diplomatic representative present in the country. “The diplomatic work in the last two years has led to the renewal of the entire episcopate.”
Three new bishops from Myanmar were ordained during Francis’s pontificate, including the bishop of Mindat, a new diocese created at the end of January, on the border with India, split off from the Diocese of Hakha, in the difficult context of Chin State. This is another sign of Francis's attention to distant and marginal places.
“Next Sunday, Divine Mercy Sunday, the new bishop of this community will be ordained, in a celebration initially set to take place in Mandalay but then moved to Yangon, due to the damages caused to the cathedral in the recent earthquake.”
"In this area there is a significant Catholic presence, with 40 priests already working and a community that, despite many difficulties, continues to grow.”
