Myanmar cardinal calls to end violence, work for peace
The Church leader suggested offering opportunities to young people as a means to establish peace
Jan 07, 2025

Myanmar cardinal Charles Maung Bo has called for an immediate end to violence in the war-torn nation in the New Year by prioritizing civilian lives and working for reconciliation.
“The cycle of violence must cease” in the Buddhist-majority country, Cardinal Bo said in his New Year message, asking the leaders of the civil-war-hit nation to end violence by committing to healing and reconciliation.
“We must unite to shield civilians — especially innocent children — from harm. Broken families must be made whole, and the voiceless must be heard,” said the message of Bo, also Yangon archbishop.
Violence has continued since Feb. 1, 2021, when the military junta took power, deposing an elected government. The junta continues its war against citizens as it attempts to suppress people’s resistance that wants to re-establish democracy.
The violence has killed at least 5,350 civilians and displaced more than 3.3 million people in the nation of 54 million people. The war has also pushed more than half the population to live below the poverty, according to UN reports.
“Let us dream of a Myanmar where no life is diminished, no community marginalized, and where peace is not an abstract ideal but a shared reality,” the cardinal said.
“May 2025 be the year when peace blossoms in every heart and every corner of Myanmar. May the displaced find shelter, the marginalized be uplifted, and the youth rise with unshakable hope to claim the future they deserve,” the prelate said.
The nation’s young people have been “stripped of opportunity and their rightful dreams,” and the country “groans under the weight of immense suffering,” the Church leader said.
Pathways to peace
Cardinal Bo outlined a vision for Myanmar’s path to reclaiming its dignity and hope.
He called for an immediate end to violence and the prioritization of protecting civilians, particularly children, emphasizing that “no life is diminished, no community marginalized.”
Bo said young people are “the architects of peace,” and he wanted the nation to offer them opportunities. “By providing education, safe spaces, and opportunities, we empower them to rebuild not only their lives but the soul of our nation.”
The top Catholic leader also suggested reconciliation as a way for peace. “Reconciliation is not just a process; it is a choice — a choice to love beyond the pain, to build beyond the destruction.”
Establishing justice and dignity also leads to peace, he noted. “True peace transcends the absence of war; it embodies the presence of justice, security, and dignity for all. Peace is built on the foundation of trust, nourished by compassion, and sustained by hope,” Bo said.--ucanews.com
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