Bangkok (AsiaNews) The Thai Church "joins the Universal Church in thanking God for the pontificate of Benedict XVI and calls on all believers to pray for a swift realization of the Pope's mission, the creation of a society based on love".
With these words, Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu, archbishop of the Thai capital, presided over a thanksgiving mass, held on Sunday 25 June in the Cathedral of Assumption, to celebrate the first anniversary of the election of Benedict XVI to the papacy. Thanksgiving mass, celebrated in all the churches in the country, took place after the precise anniversary date, 16 April. This is because in Thailand, the pontificate is normally celebrated on the Sunday before the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 29 June.
Among those present for the celebration in Bangkok were Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Nuncio, Salvatore Pennacchio, seven bishops, priests, religious and members of the diplomatic corps, along with all the believers gathered in the cathedral.
Cardinal Kitbunchu said during the homily: "We all know that Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the salvation of mankind, is the Almighty God of Love. The Church therefore appeals to each and every one of us to determine to share this love with others, through charity which our society urgently needs, and forgiveness, another urgent necessity to lead mankind to peace."
He continued: "On this special occasion, the Church of Thailand has joined the Universal Church in proclaiming 'the Good News', so well clarified in the first papal encyclical, 'Deus Caritas Est' which is the answer to questions posed when ethics decline and clashes with the truth of life."
In his thanksgiving message, the Nuncio said: "I wish and pray that our community may unite with the person and mission of the Pope, who wants to create a culture of love. As he wrote in the introduction of his encyclical, in a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with the desire for vengeance or hatred and violence, this message is both timely and significant. The best way to express the significance of our communion is to be here to honour him and to pray for his intentions."
Mgr George Yod Phimphisan, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, said the encyclical was translated in Thai soon after its publication and extracts from the text have been published in the Catholic weekly Udomsarn to be available for all believers to read.
