ASIA/LAOS - Three new priests, hope for the little Church in Laos

Luang Prabang (Agenzia Fides) - "2015 will be a year of blessing for the little Church in Laos. Three priests will be ordained in the Vicariate of Luang Prabang: a sign of great hope": says His Exc. Mgr. Tito Banchong Thopanhong, Apostolic Vicar of Luang Prabang to Agenzia Fides. Mgr. Tito, 67, has just another priest in the whole Vicariate, to assist 2,600 faithful in the six existing parishes. The three future priests are: Paolo Lattana Sunthon, Agostino Saegna Sii Bunti, Michele Kanthak Vilae Luong Di.
"It will be a historic moment for Laos", says Mgr. Tito. The four Catholic Apostolic Vicars of Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Savannakhet and Pakse will meet next week. The ordination is to be held in December 2015. "It is really a moment of grace for all", says Mgr. Tito.
Among other things, "we are blessed by other vocations: eight seminarians in Pakse, 5 in Savannakhet and 3 in Luang Prabang", reports the Vicar.
The three deacons who will be ordained have studied in the Seminary of Savannakhet and one of them spent a year of study in the Philippines. The four Apostolic Vicars of Laos will invite the Apostolic Nuncio, who is based in Bangkok, and other Asian Bishops. The Apostolic Vicar of Luang Prabang told Fides that in regard to relations with the civil authorities, "the situation is calm and peaceful, and there are no obstacles to the activities of worship and pastoral activities of the Church", a sign of a gradual, steady improvement of freedoms in the small country, still ruled by a communist party.
Of about 6 million people, mostly Buddhists, Christians in Laos are about 1% including about 45 thousand Catholics. Currently, in addition to the four Apostolic Vicars, Catholic priests in the country are, in total, 14. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/03/2015)