Yangon: On the first day of the octave (18 to 25 January) for Christian Unity, Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has sent out a message of peace for war-torn people of his nation, 18 January 2021.
Placing prayer for peace in war torn areas in the pandemic times ravaged by corona virus 72 year old archbishop of Yangon says, “we urgently need the vaccine of peace.”
President of Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar and President of FABC, cardinal Bo invites, “All Christians need to join together and herald the words of our Lord “Peace I leave you; peace I give to you.”
Naming peace efforts the cardinal says, “It gives me great pleasure to greet all our Christian brothers and sisters. Undoubtedly a robust Christian witness in Myitkyina is a joy to see much to be grateful for. I realize that the role of Christians in the destiny of Kachin is a blessed one. All praise to God.”
Myitkyina has been an important trading town between China and Myanmar since ancient times and is the capital of Kachin State in Northern Myanmar with a population of over 200,000 people.
The cardinal reminds, “More than ever all our destiny is interwoven with one another. The pandemic is an agonizing reminder that only by uniting to face the challenges we will overcome in the name of the Lord.”
He reminded Christian brothers and sisters of Myanmar, “Seven decade war is a pandemic. Thousands living in miserable IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps is a pandemic. Drug and looting of our resources is a pandemic. Generations lived through the unending wars.”
He urged fellow Christians saying, “We need to make them live in a land of peace. Wars have not solved any problem for seven decades. Peace is possible; peace is the only way. As Christians let us struggle towards peace based on Justice.”
Cardinal ends his message on a positive note saying, “We shall overcome seven decades of darkness of war. We shall overcome our despair because we believe in a living, loving and liberating God.”
In a final wish he says, “Let peace flow like a river in the Kachin land. Let our children proclaim with joy the realization of the dream of the Revelation: We see a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more tears.”