By LiCAS.news
THE diocesan representative for the Holy Year 2025 in the Diocese of Loikaw said that despite displacement, hunger, and the hardships of life in refugee camps, Catholics remain steadfast, celebrating the Jubilee Year with resilience and hope.
Fr Paul Pa said the Catholic community in the Burmese state of Kayah, about 90,000 strong, is striving for unity despite ongoing clashes between the military and opposition forces, according to a report by Fides News Agency.
Since November 2023, when the military seized Christ the King Cathedral and the Pastoral Complex, Catholics have been observing what they call a “Jubilee in exile.”
“It is a deep wound for the local church, which, however, ‘does not lose hope,’” said Fr Paul Pa. “Since we could not use the cathedral church as the Jubilee church, we have designated the Mother of God parish church in Sondu, where our Bishop Celso Ba Shwe currently resides, as the co-cathedral.”
The diocese has also designated several other pilgrimage sites, including the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Yusamoso, St Joseph’s Church in Hoya, the Sacred Heart Church in Dorokhu, and the church in Mese.
These sites have been provided with a guide for Jubilee celebrations, pilgrimages, and indulgence petitions, delivered by “itinerant priests” who minister throughout the region.
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