ASIA/CAMBODIA - The “Magnificat” of the Apostolic Prefect of Battambang: “In Cambodia I am a witness to the works of God”

Battambang (Agenzia Fides) - "When I celebrate Mass in my cathedral, more than half of those present are unbaptized people. They are people in search, in search of God, of the meaning of life," said Father Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, to Fides. The Jesuit has been a missionary in Cambodia for 40 years and is now President of the Episcopal Conference of Laos and Cambodia.
"When the Eucharist is distributed, we form a line on one side to receive Communion; on the other side, the line of the unbaptized to receive the blessing. And this line is always longer," he notes. "It is very beautiful to see the Church as a place of reconciliation of the heart," said the Apostolic Prefect. "People carry the burden of their history and find in Christ an oasis that renews and relieves the burdens of existence. In listening to the Gospel and the preaching - which I often design myself so that I also address non-Christians - many are moved, feel the call of God and embark on the path and time of the catechumenate. God reveals himself in their hearts."

The Apostolic Prefect explains how it is that Cambodians - in a predominantly Buddhist country where there are only about 30,000 Catholics out of a population of 17 million - turn to the Catholic Church: "People are interested and are attracted above all when they see that we are there for the poor, the orphans, the destitute, the disabled. They see compassion. They also appreciate listening, participation: when we welcome someone to the Church, we invite them to take part in the Mass, the choir and the meetings: there is an immediate personal involvement. The Cambodians find in the parish people who are ready to listen to their problems, their struggles and their sufferings: they consider this to be very important for their lives.”

“In Christ they find hope,” Father Figaredo continues, “of being saved and freed from the negative spirits that life, past events or cultural beliefs have placed like a yoke on their hearts. The Spirit of God gives liberation. The Gospel of Christ is a liberating message, on a cultural level it is revolutionary. We proclaim the power of God that liberates. On a spiritual level, God gives freedom from negative spirits, from adverse fates. The Lord Jesus gives a full life, transforms the heart.”

The Spanish religious reports: “Many ask to be baptized. We celebrate about 100 baptisms of adults a year, mostly young people. They talk about the call of the Lord, which gives them a meaning in life and belonging to a community. There are also baptisms of entire families. And in Catholic families we have over 100 infant baptisms per year." "Another remarkable aspect," says Apostolic Prefect Figaredo, "is that the Church is full of young people and children and there are very few elderly people: the exact opposite of what happens in the West. Cambodia is a very young country: 50 percent of the population is under 25 years of age, and this is reflected in the churches."

On the structure of ecclesiastical life in his Apostolic Prefecture in the west of the country, the Prefect says: "In the entire Battambang Prefecture there are 22 priests: three are Cambodian, all the others are missionaries who come mainly from Asia, from Indonesia, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, but also from countries in Africa, Colombia and France. Also among the sisters we have 60 of many nationalities and 4 Cambodians. So we are faced with the challenge of the relationship between people of different cultures and nationalities and a spirit of kindness and compassion, empathy and synodality is emerging. From the Synod I participated in at the Vatican, I bring with me the spirit of increased listening and spiritual conversion.”

Looking back on the 40 years of his work in the mission in Cambodia, Father Figaredo says: “I see that the Catholic community has grown in numbers, but there is a need for spiritual accompaniment, for responsibility for the community. For this, the catechists in the prefecture are very valuable: about 90, almost all young. And of the older ones, some were catechists in the pre-war period, before the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. During the Pol Pot era, they went into hiding because priests, bishops and catechists were persecuted and killed. The young Catholics were hiding, but they had faith in their hearts and kept it hidden during the sufferings of the war. And now they are back, proclaiming the faith to the little ones.”

As a Spanish priest and missionary who has been living in Cambodia for 10 years, the Jesuit concludes: "I have been blessed. I am the happiest priest in the world. I experience the joy of witnessing so many works of God. I think of the disabled who had no opportunities and are now married, working and participating in the community. The first young people I accompanied spiritually and pastorally are now parents, I now have white hair and, so to speak, 'grandchildren'". I feel a sense of gratitude because I have seen so much beautiful life. Now I sing my Magnificat". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 23/11/2024)

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