ASIA/MYANMAR - Cardinal Bo: "A Christmas of good will, for national reconciliation"

Wednesday, 23 December 2015 reconciliation   local churches  

Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - In Myanmar there is "every reason to celebrate with the angel who sung: Joy to the world! at Christmas. Christmas is an invitation to come out of our darkness and live in the light, to receive the light so that our hearts may truly be filled with joy": says Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, in his Christmas message.
A key word of the message, sent by the Cardinal to Fides, is "good will", which echoes in the proclamation of the angels, "and peace on earth to men of good will".
"With the general election of November 8, our nation sees the dawn of a change. The year that is about to come is a year of blessing for each of you, brothers and sisters. Forgetting the past, the darkness of hatred, we can carry out the message of peace addressed to all people of good will", says the Cardinal.
"Good will is a prerequisite for the acquisition of peace", he remarked, inviting to "build a new Myanmar, a new earth", thanks to the good will of everyone.
The message invites "all men and women of good will to join forces in Myanmar", building peace among the communities, "never spreading hate speeches". Then he praised the winners of the elections for showing sagacity, "proposing a government of national reconciliation", appreciated by the Church. He asks those who lost the election to "accept the verdict and welcome the winners".
He calls upon the good will of the military, claiming to "sincerely believe in the change of heart of the army" that can become "guardian of the democratic transition". He believes in "the good will of religious leaders and religions", to demonstrate that they "take care of each other" abandoning "attempts to misuse religion for political purposes".
In particular the Cardinal sees and hopes in the good will of the Church, "one of the few organizations in the country that has a truly national character because within the church there are people who belong to every tribe, language and ethnicity". The Church - he concludes - "is called to be with the most marginalized, to ensure that democracy is inclusive, addressed to the most vulnerable". At Christmas, the Church in Myanmar reaffirms its contribution in building the nation, though wounded by so many problems, working for "a time of healing, not for revenge. A time for forgiveness, a time for national reconciliation". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/12/2015)


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