Four years on from a coup in Myanmar, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need is calling for a 24-hour Global Day of Prayer for peace in the country. Source: Vatican News.
The February 1, 2021, coup d’etat in Myanmar shifted power from the democratically-elected government to the military. Today, the country remains embroiled in conflict.
To mark this tragic anniversary tomorrow, ACN’s headquarters and 23 national offices, together with people from all over the world, will come together in prayer with “a spirit of solidarity and hope”.
Whether joining from Australia, Cameroon, Scotland, or Guam, all will be able to participate as the day will be divided into prayer shifts – led by the various ACN national offices.
The executive president of ACN International, Regina Lynch, said the day was “an opportunity for everyone, regardless of their place of origin, to unite in a collective plea for peace and reconciliation”.
She said this Global Day was dedicated to the victims as well as “our brothers and sisters experiencing bombings, hunger, lack of electricity and means”.
The danger and risk have not stopped the priests and religious in the country from their mission: they travel for days to reach distant parishes.
Rather than petering out as the years have passed, the conflict has escalated.
The United States Institute of Peace described 2024 as “particularly devastating for the Myanmar military, marking its worst losses in history”.
As a result of the violence, more than 3.3 million people have been internally displaced and at least 5300 civilians killed.
FULL STORY
24-hour Global Day of Prayer for peace in Myanmar (By Kielce Gussie, Vatican News)
