ASIA/MYANMAR - At the feet of the Immaculate Conception: "Mother of hope and reconciliation"

Friday, 6 December 2024 marian devotion civil war peace prayer

MYANMAR

2024-12-06
At the feet of the Immaculate Conception: "Mother of hope and reconciliation"

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Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "Today we remember our nation and pray for peace in the Adoration of the first Friday of the month. We entrust Myanmar, which has been in great distress for some time, to the Virgin Mary, her maternal and Immaculate Heart," Fr. Terence Anthony, of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in the south of the Archdiocese of Yangon, told Fides. "We are deeply grateful to Pope Francis, who does not fail to remember us in his prayers and in his repeated appeals he does not fail to remind the international community of our difficult situation. Every day we pray together the Pope's prayer for peace," says the priest.
The Advent season is dedicated by the Burmese faithful to prayer for peace. In particular, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th is very present in Yangon, because Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the patron saint of the archdiocese and the Cathedral of Yangon is named after her. "All the faithful in the various parishes of the archdiocese celebrate the novena to the Immaculate Conception with deep devotion and pray intensely for peace," emphasizes the priest. "In our region, the fury of the civil war is not felt, but the effects of the war are noticeable: the cost of living is very high and there is great poverty. In many other parts of the country, however, the conflict continues and many of our friends and believers cannot even go to church or have been displaced by the war. We are very close to them, we are in prayer with all those who suffer in body and spirit."
The diocesan community, continued Fr. Terence, will gather on December 8 in the Cathedral of Yangon for a solemn ceremony in which bishops, priests, religious and the faithful will renew the consecration to the Virgin Mary: "We invoke her today as the Mother of hope, mercy and reconciliation. It is she who heals all wounds. We place ourselves once again under her protection. As a nation and as a people we face challenges, tears, displacement, violence and pain. We are at the feet of the Virgin to obtain mercy and healing. She knows our pain. She who stood at the foot of the cross and suffered for her wounded son knows our wounds. We pray that she will embrace our people and heal us all, give comfort and give peace to this land". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 6/12/2024)