Myanmar: In the heart of Myanmar’s conflict-stricken regions, three Catholic bishops have come together to offer a message of hope and resilience to a people battered by war, natural disaster, and daily uncertainty. Despite living through the wreckage of civil unrest and the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, the bishops are calling on the faithful not to lose their spiritual footing.
Drawing from the Gospel of John “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” Bishops John Mung-ngawn La Sam (Myitkyina), Raymond Sumlut Gam (Banmaw), and Lucas Dau Ze Jeimphaung, SDB (Lashio), issued a joint pastoral letter via the Vatican’s Fides agency. These prelates, shepherds of dioceses torn apart by violence, have themselves faced displacement, forced to flee from their homes as fighting rages on.
The bishops acknowledge that the past four years have brought unimaginable suffering: families shattered, farmland destroyed, livelihoods lost, and entire communities displaced into makeshift refugee camps. These hardships have been compounded by the March 2025 earthquake, which left over 3,000 dead and thousands more injured, razing homes and deepening despair.
Still, the message is one of faith amid the fire. The bishops remind their people of Jesus' call to “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,” urging them to find strength in prayer and unity. They emphasize that God’s grace remains near to those who seek it, and that prayer can empower believers to carry their burdens alongside Christ.
“Whatever our trials,” the letter reads, “if we call upon God daily with faith and love, we will endure the suffering and be strengthened through Christ.” They encourage communities to support each other with compassion and shared prayer, especially in this Holy Year which, they insist, remains “full of hope despite all.”
The pastoral letter ends with a blessing: a heartfelt wish for health physical, mental, and spiritual and the sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit.