Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Embrace Easter hope and forgiveness, archbishop tells Myanmar

Embrace Easter hope and forgiveness, archbishop tells Myanmar

Last updated on: April 22, 2014 at 8:23 am by CNA Daily News

Embrace Easter hope and forgiveness, archbishop tells Myanmar 2014-04-22T08:23:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Yangon, Myanmar, Apr 22, 2014 / 02:23 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Easter message, Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, emphasized the hope of the holy day and encouraged the country to seek forgiveness and reconciliation amid past and present conflict.

“Easter breaks forth like a dawn. Its message is soaked in hope. Even the longest night ends in dawn. Every human suffering has an expiration date. The beacon of human journey is hope,” he said.

His Easter message was provided to CNA by the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need.

The archbishop said that the Resurrection is “not just a dogma” for those in Myanmar, given the country’s troubled recent history.

“We went through our Way of the Cross for the last five decades,” he said, noting the “long, cruel years” of dictatorship, war, displacement, poverty and oppression, which were “brutally inflicted by men who were agents of darkness.”

“Conflict welded with injustice and made this nation a virtual hell,” he continued. “We were a Good Friday people, without a hope of Holy Saturday and Easter was a distant dream.”

However, Archbishop Bo noted “streaks of hope” in present-day Myanmar, also known as Burma. He encouraged the country to look back and say “the Lord has done marvels for us, blessed be his name.”

He praised a greater willingness among Myanmar’s leaders to experiment with “incremental democracy” and to debate diverse views, as well as greater openness to civil society and a “bolder” media.

“We hope and pray that this is not a false dawn,” he said. He acknowledged remaining problems, including land-grabbing by “cronies” and companies, “collective religious hatred” that is fanned by “neo-Nazi movements,” continued conflict and displacement in ethnic areas, a “sinister” economy that favors the rich and powerful, and the “arrogant march of a heartless neo-liberal economy.”

The archbishop said the only way to avoid a “false dawn” is to follow “the path of reconciliation” shown by Jesus.

“Christians have a special duty for reconciliation. Easter bestows on each one of us to carry on this message of reconciliation,” he said.

“Christ reminds us of our awesome responsibility: just as he has reconciled us to himself by forgiving us, we are to go and seek reconciliation with those who have sinned against us,” Archbishop Bo said. “We, following God's example, are to forgive those who have hurt, troubled, and wronged us! Just as God took the initiative to forgive us – we are to take the initiative to forgive others.”

He said that God expects Christians to forgive those who have wronged them “and to let them know it by the way we show it in our lives.”

The archbishop urged reconciliation within disunited families, between enemies, and across communities. He advocated that Myanmar overcome ethnic divisions and injustice with love. He also advocated a reconciliation with God’s creation and the avoidance of environmental exploitation.

“Reconciliation with our neighbor is the direct result of our forgiveness. There can be no genuine reconciliation without genuine forgiveness,” he said.

Christians are most like Christ when they are forgiving, he stated, also calling for more religious tolerance and a “positive approach” to promoting religion, refraining from attacking other faiths.

In addition, Archbishop Bo noted that Easter week coincides with the Burmese New Year Water Festival, saying that both holidays “point towards a new creation, a new humanity cleansed of all sin and hatred.”

“Hatred has no place in a new nation,” he said. “Myanmar's destiny is Peace and Prosperity.”

The archbishop closed his message by wishing everyone a happy Easter.

Myanmar’s 55 million people are predominantly Buddhist. The Archdiocese of Yangon serves about 76,000 Catholics out of a population of 14 million, according to Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

Asia - Pacific

Previous Post

April 22, 2014

Coptic priest appointed personal secretary to Pope Francis

Next Post

April 22, 2014 Philippines issue new stamps of Blessed John Paul II, John XXIII

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the name of the queen who visited Solomon?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Queen Jezebel Queen Vashti Queen Esther The Queen of Sheba