Father Anthony Chantry, the National Director of Missio in England and Wales, made a visit to Cambodia not long ago. He spoke on the Catholic News podcast about the many problems the Catholic Church faces there.
He said the Church in Cambodia had to start again from nothing after the Khmer Rouge, a brutal group led by Pol Pot. During their rule, many churches, schools, and homes for priests and nuns were destroyed. Many Catholics were killed or forced to leave the country.
Father Chantry explained, “I think the Church is only about 35 years old now. In 1990, the new government allowed just one public Mass at Easter. That’s how bad things were. The Church had to rebuild everything from scratch.”
He said the Church’s main job now is to help people heal. Many people in Cambodia are still suffering from the pain of the past. The Church wants to heal minds, bodies, and hearts.
One inspiring person is a Spanish priest named Father Enrique “Kike” Figaredo. He saw that many children had lost arms or legs because of landmines left behind after the war. These children had no help or artificial limbs. So, he set up a system to care for them. People saw his kindness and started to ask, “Why is he helping our children?”
Then, they became curious about his faith. That opened the door to talk about Jesus and God’s love. In Cambodia, some crucifixes (crosses showing Jesus) even show Jesus missing a leg, to show that he shares in people’s suffering.
Father Chantry also talked about Christians in Myanmar, a country next to Cambodia. He said they are having a very hard time. The military is in control and is very harsh. Many people have lost their homes, and some churches and cathedrals have been attacked.
He said, “Over three million people have been forced to leave their homes. Villages have been destroyed. Christians and others are suffering. Please pray for them.”
In the podcast, he also spoke about how missionaries keep hope, Missio’s work during the Year of Jubilee.
Source: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
