PIME Seminary helps five young Taungngu men continue path to priesthood, interrupted by war

Five young men of Karen and Kayan ethnicity had finished the Minor Seminary in Leiktho two years ago but have been unable to go to Yangon to study theology because of the conflict caused by the military coup. Now they will be able to continue their preparation for the priesthood in Monza along with future missionaries from the institute. "We used to spend our days working in the fields, praying and playing. Now we will have a unique opportunity to grow."

Milan (AsiaNews) - On Tuesday, April 5, five young men from Myanmar arrived in Italy in Monza, at the community of the PIME missionary seminary. They are here to begin a long philosophical and theological journey to realize their goal of serving the Church as priests. Their Christian names are Justin and Sebastian (22 years old), Leonardo and Graziano (21 years old) and Pio (20 years old). They come from the diocese of Taungngu, founded by the PIME missionaries, present in Myanmar (then Burma) since 1867.

Myanmar has plunged into violence due to the bloody coup d'état of February 1, 2021. For this reason, along with the limitations of social life imposed because of the pandemic, the five young men had to interrupt their studies.

Sebastian recounts, "Since almost two years we have been unable to reach the national seminary in Yangon to begin our philosophical and theological studies. We were stuck in the minor seminary in Leiktho, a small town half an hour from Taungngu. We spent our days working in the fields, praying and playing, but we could not have classes and study." "The situation," Leonardo continued, "could not go on like this. Our bishop asked us if we were willing to do the theological path in Italy." Justin: "We are very happy to have come to Italy. Our families are too, because they see that we can accomplish what had become impossible in Myanmar."

The young men are well aware that they have entered a specifically missionary seminary. Pio, the youngest, seems to have clear ideas: "This is a unique opportunity to grow and mature. And one day, if I become a priest, I want to share the missionary spirit with everyone." And Graziano is "happy that the bishop has proposed that we come to Italy: the foundation of our Catholic faith is in Rome". The diocese of Taungngu has two other theology students (who did not come to Italy) who have only two years left to complete their studies. The minor seminary has about ten students.

The young people, three Karen and two Kayan (two of the peoples of which the nation of Myanmar is composed) come from Catholic families who live by cultivating the land. In their small villages Catholics, Buddhists and Baptists live together without hostility. The conflict is carried by the army, which with last year's coup d'état broke the difficult path of democracy and freedom. The army, under the orders of the criminal military junta, attacks villages, communities and targets of the Catholic community, causing the killing, wounding and arrest of many believers. Houses and churches were destroyed and many families and religious communities had to leave their homes and villages and take refuge in the forests or in distant places. Violence has also touched the home areas of our young people. Thank God, their families have so far been spared from the worst consequences.

Bishop Isaac Danu, faced with the impossibility of providing for the spiritual and academic formation of the five promising young men within a certain time frame, asked the PIME superior to accept at least two of them, allowing, of course, for the young men to make their vocational choices in complete freedom. The seminary in Monza learned that there were actually five young men interested, and promptly gave its willingness to welcome them all. This is the way in which the seminary, which has organized various prayer events for the people of Myanmar, concretely places itself at the side of the beloved Burmese Church in such a tragic moment.

For the PIME seminary it is a rather onerous commitment: the young people have a total of eight years of residence in Monza ahead of them: language study; two years of philosophy; a year of spirituality and four years of theology. The seminary thus reaches 60 students, its full capacity, which is a real wonder in current times.

We have waited for Justin, Sebastian, Leonardo, Graziano and Pio and now we are enthusiastic to have them among us. They will be free to decide their own path: we will accompany them by offering them the best we have: an international community (about ten nations are represented here) that is numerous, lively, and friendly; a good educational proposal; a theological school that is attentive to international, intercultural, dialogue, and missionary themes; friends who are willing to make them feel at home. A new promising chapter in the history of friendship between Myanmar and PIME is beginning.

Thanks to those who are in solidarity with us in this commitment. Thanks to those in Myanmar who have helped these young people obtain visas and embark on a new beginning in the journey of life. In particular, we would like to thank the Italian Ambassador Alessandra Schiavo, friend of the Burmese people and of the PIME missionaries, for her active support.

* PIME missionary, dean of the PIME International Theological Seminary

PIME IS COMING TO THE AID OF PEOPLE DISPLACED BY THE WAR IN MYANMAR WITH THE CAMPAIGN "MYANMAR EMERGENCY". CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND SUPPORT US

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