A fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding firm as Pope Leo XIV and Catholic bishops from both nations called for prayer, peace, and protection for displaced families caught in the crossfire. Source: CNA.
The “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire took effect at midnight Tuesday local time following five days of deadly border clashes along the disputed 820km frontier that claimed at least 33 lives and displaced more than 260,000 people, the BBC reported.
The deal was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim under pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
Signs of stability emerged along the border by Tuesday afternoon, with some displaced families beginning to return home, according to AP.
On Sunday, Pope Leo prayed “for those affected by the clashes along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially displaced children and families,” during his Angelus address.
Catholic leaders across both nations called for peace and provided humanitarian relief throughout the crisis.
Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondarattana, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, expressed “profound concern” over the conflict in an interview published by Vatican News on Saturday.
“The Church unequivocally condemns all acts of violence against civilians,” Archbishop Arpondarattana stated. “We reiterate that international humanitarian law must be respected, and that noncombatants — including women, children, and the elderly — must always be protected.”
The archbishop warned against the dangers of “extreme nationalism” and criticised how border tensions “may be manipulated to stoke nationalist sentiments” while placing “short-term political opportunism” above genuine peace-building efforts.
In Cambodia, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, the apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, issued an urgent appeal to the Catholic community on Saturday calling for special prayers during Sunday Masses for “the dead and wounded, for all those who have had to flee their homes quickly to seek refuge from the bombings,” AsiaNews reported.
“Prayer is our only weapon and our only shield today,” Bishop Schmitthaeusler declared, urging Catholics to pray for political leaders to “immediately begin a process of dialogue that will put an end to this border conflict.”
FULL STORY
Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire holds amid Catholic bishops’ peace appeals (By AC Wimmer, CNA)
