ASIA/MYANMAR - Jubilee in exile: Catholics in Loikaw do not want to lose hope

Loikaw (Agenzia Fides) - Displacement, hunger, cold, the fatigue of a daily life in refugee camps or in makeshift settlements in the forests cannot stop the Catholic faithful of Loikaw, a diocese in the Burmese state of Kayah in the east of the country, from celebrating the Holy Year. As Fr. Paul Pa, diocesan representative for the Holy Year 2025, tells Fides, the Catholic community of Loikaw, with about 90,000 members scattered in an area marked by clashes and fighting between the army and the opposition forces, is striving for unity and has found the spiritual strength to celebrate its "Jubilee in exile" since the Christ the King Cathedral and the Pastoral Complex in Loikaw were seized and occupied by the military in November 2023.
It is a deep wound for the local church, which, however, "does not lose hope," says the priest: "Since we could not use the cathedral church as the Jubilee church, we have designated the Mother of God parish church in Sondu, where our Bishop Celso Ba Shwe currently resides, as the co-cathedral," he says. "This church is one of our Jubilee pilgrimage centers, together with the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Yusamoso, St. Joseph's Church in Hoya, the Sacred Heart Church in Dorokhu and the church in the Mese region." All were provided with the "guide" for the celebration of the Jubilee, the pilgrimage and the petition for indulgence by the "itinerant priests" from Loikaw, who are constantly traveling in the area.
At the opening service of the Jubilee, the bishop encouraged the faithful to "hold on to hope" because "the Lord is with us, he supports us, he is the source of our hope." "Moreover," he continued, "hope comes from solidarity and mutual charity in this time of desert, darkness, suffering, displacement," "a time of exile when everyone longs to return home but cannot because of the widespread violence."
Like the other priests and religious of the diocese, Father Paul Pa is constantly on the move, visiting the Jubilee churches and refugee camps, noting the piety of the pilgrims who "arrive after long marches on foot, stop to pray, are moved, ask God for help, receive the sacraments, gain indulgences." The priest stresses that the service of the priests of Loikaw "today is above all a service of consolation and support for the afflicted." In the midst of this painful condition, the faithful also sing songs of praise, as they have been provided with a “Jubilee song” and a special prayer that they recite with faith. The ministry of priests in Loikaw has become, above all, a ministry of consolation: “We say to the faithful: may a special shower of graces be upon you all, and we bless you,” the priest recounts.
In addition to human and spiritual consolation, it is also about providing humanitarian aid to those most in need, especially displaced persons, children, the elderly and the sick, in a situation in which even the private health centers and clinics of the Catholic Church are facing serious difficulties and shortages. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 3/2/2025)

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