Young Catholics sing a song during the Silver jubilee celebration of the Youth Commission of Kengtung diocese in eastern Shan state of Myanmar on April 20 (Photo: Kengtung Diocese)
By UCA News reporter
Jul 26 2023
THE Church in strife-torn Myanmar will have no delegates to the World Youth Day (WYD) this year because of a funding crunch and political instability, says a church official.
The bishops encouraged the National Catholic Youth Commission to send a delegation to the August first-week global Catholic youth gathering in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, said the commission director, Father Joseph Saw Eh Khaw Htoo.
But the reality was not favorable… We faced challenges including funding woes for the cost of delegates and the political instability in our country,” said Father Htoo.
The priest said following meetings with diocesan directors and youth leaders, they have decided not to send a delegation.
Ten young people from Myanmar attended the previous WYD in Panama in 2019.
National churches from across the world send an official youth delegation to WYD held every three years and attended by the pope.
A host diocese arranges the event in collaboration with the Vatican and its national Church.
Most national Churches in Asia, partially find the travel and other expenses of the official delegates, but also take contributions from participants depending on their financial capacity.
Maximilian Menu, president of the National Catholic Youth Commission, said they had registered the Myanmar delegation for the event but did not proceed with the visa process following a meeting in May.
The decision was conveyed to the bishops during their meeting in June, Menu said.
“Some youth had the desire to join the event, but all the directors and youth leaders agreed on the final decision following the difficulties under the present situation in the country,” he said.
The Southeast Asian nation reels from a massive socio-economic and political crisis following the military takeover on Feb. 1, 2021.
The return of military junta after the brief civilian rule reignited armed insurgency from ethnic rebel groups who are joined by newly emerged, youth-led Peoples’ Defense Forces, plunging the country into a deadly civil war in many regions.
The church has been facing the brunt of the violence. Five out of 16 dioceses in the country — Loikaw, Pekhon, Hakha, Kalay and Mandalay — have witnessed a series of skirmishes between the military and resistance forces, destruction of religious places and villages, and deaths.
Nicholas Joseph Kaung, a youth leader from Yangon Archdiocese, said he is upset about the inability to attend WYD.
“I wanted to join the event as it is a rare chance. It is sad,” said the 26-year-old Kaung.
He hopes to join the next WYD. – UCA News
