Cardinal Bo calls for peace and reconciliation in the crisis -ridden Myanmar

Cardinal Bo calls for peace and reconciliation in the crisis -ridden Myanmar

Nyaunglebin, Myanmar - Cardinal Charles Bo has urged peace and reconciliation in Myanmar, where there has been a brutal civil war since the military coup in February 2021. At a service for peace in the Nyaunglebin region, which was characterized by fighting, to which over 3,000 people appeared different, he focused on hope of a reconciled future. As part of the festival of our dear wife of Lourdes, he compared the fragile living conditions of the internal displaced in Myanmar with the journey of the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. "Your courage shows us that peace is not the absence of difficulties, but the presence of God in the middle of these challenges," quotes him the Kathpress.at.

Friedensappell in the context of constant fights

The persistent conflicts have led to a dramatic humanitarian crisis. According to the UN reports, more than 3.5 million of the 54 million inhabitants of Myanmar are dominated. Cardinal Bo referred to the need to overcome religious and cultural divisions and to show solidarity with refugee families. "Like Maria, these mothers find the power to continue, forgiven and stand up for peace," he emphasized. Despite the desolate location, the cardinal sees opportunities for peace and dialogue as the only way to solve the conflicts, as Vatican News reported.

However, the situation remains tense and unpredictable. Various armed groups continue to run fights against the military while the civilian population is suffering. Cardinal Bo emphasized that the dialogue between the hostile parties is urgently necessary to achieve sustainable peace. Pope Francis joined the peace appeals and asked the international community not to forget Myanmar. However, the ongoing struggles and the complexity of international relationships make an early solution more than difficult.

For many of those affected, the hope of peace remains a ray of hope in the darkness of the conflicts, while at the same time they are faced with unspeakable suffering and an interrupted life. So peace is possible, and how Cardinal Bo aptly put it, "the only way to peace is the dialogue".