Receiving in audience a pilgrimage from the diocese of Crema, where the missionary murdered by the Burmese army left 70 years ago, Francis invited them to pray for this “tormented land that I carry in my heart”. Also present at the meeting were seminarians from the diocese of Taungngu who, because of the war, are studying in Italy at the PIME seminary. The death toll in the airstrike on Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing rose to 165.
Vatican City () – Myanmar is “a tormented land that I carry in my heart and for which I invite you to pray, imploring God for the gift of peace.” This is what Pope Francis said this morning when he received the participants in a pilgrimage organized by the diocese of Crema in audience at the Vatican. Blessed Alfredo Cremonesi, a PIME missionary who died a martyr under army fire in Donoku, in Myanmar (then called Burma) on February 7, 1953, was born there and was beatified on October 19, 2019.
At the meeting in the Paul VI Hall, with the group of about 2,000 pilgrims from Crema led by Bishop Daniele Gianotti, significantly also present were the Superior General of PIME, Father Ferruccio Brambillasca, and a group of seminarians from the diocese of Taungngu , in Myanmar, who, precisely because of the conditions in which the country finds itself due to the conflict two years ago, were sent to continue their studies in Italy, at the PIME Theological Seminary in Monza. But the diocese of Crema has also maintained close ties with Myanmar, in the name of Blessed Cremonesi, a highly topical figure that Pope Francis wanted to remember today, seventy years after his assassination.
In particular, he recalled his firm will to return to his mountain village “despite a thousand difficulties and dangers, to be close to his people and to build and rebuild what war and violence continued to destroy.” The tenacity with which he exercised his ministry, giving himself without measure and without reserve for the good of the people entrusted to him, believers and non-believers, Catholics and non-Catholics, is surprising – the Pontiff commented. A universal man, for all”.
“He exercised charity especially with those most in need,” he continued, “finding himself many times with nothing, he himself had to beg. He dedicated himself to the education of young people and did not allow himself to be intimidated or discouraged by misunderstanding and violent opposition, until the machine gun fire that brought him down. But even this extreme violence did not stop his spirit or silence his voice.”
Francis also dwelled on a phrase written by Father Cremonesi: “Missionaries are nothing. Ours is the most mysterious and marvelous work that is given to man, not to accomplish, but to see: contemplating the conversion of souls is a miracle greater than any miracle.” “In these words – the Pope commented – some important characteristics of the missionary are summarized, on which I invite you to reflect and that I invite you to make your own: the humble awareness of being a small instrument in the great hands of God; the joy of carry out a “marvelous work” bringing the brothers closer to Jesus; the amazement at what the Lord himself works in those who encounter and welcome him. Humility, joy and amazement”, he commented, “three beautiful traits of our apostolate, in all conditions and state of life”.
The Pope’s invocation of prayer for peace in Myanmar and the memory of the example of Blessed Cremonesi come at a time when the balance of the bombardment of April 11 perpetrated by the army in the town of Pa Zi Gyi, in the region of Sagaing, it is getting more and more serious. The country’s shadow national unity government announced that the death toll had risen to 165, including 27 women and 19 children. Efforts to identify the victims are ongoing and the death toll is likely to continue to rise, while at least 17 people were “severely injured” and underwent major surgeries.
Residents also told Radio Free Asia that from time to time military planes were seen flying over the town to inspect the place, while a column of more than 80 soldiers was located about three kilometers to the east. A witness said rescue teams are rapidly cremating the remains in a situation that remains a security risk.
Meanwhile, despite the pavilions erected by the junta for the Burmese New Year water festival, the streets of the cities of Naypyidaw, Yangon and Mandalay remained deserted on April 13 in protest of the new massacre. Pro-democracy activists described the official celebrations as an attempt to show the world that the country was back to normal and called on the public to stay away in solidarity with those oppressed by the military’s brutal crackdown.
