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Maintaining the Catholic Faith Amidst Suffering in Church of Myanmar (CPM)

Explore the journey of the Church of Myanmar as they navigate political, social, and religious suffering while maintaining their Catholic faith. Discover the resilience, devotion, and unity that have sustained them through the years.

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Maintaining the Catholic Faith Amidst Suffering in Church of Myanmar (CPM)

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  1. Maintaining the Catholic faith in the midst of sufferingIn Church of the province of Myanmar (CPM)

  2. Introduction:I will come and bury you • Greetings • CPM : 6 dioceses; about 50000 members • I will come and bury you • 1980s, Believers fleeing to jungles for survival because of civil war • for 30 years, wandering in the wilderness • No church, no priest, no home, but....... I will come and bury you

  3. Video Clip

  4. Introduction • What do I mean by the Catholic faith: episcopacy as focal and as apostolic succession, church as one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic, practice most traditions of the church up to Reformation, Prayer book, etc.

  5. Introduction • Anglican Church in Myanmar is unique in a sense that it received both the Anglo-Catholic tradition (SPG) and evangelical tradition (BCMS) CPM SPG BCMS

  6. Introduction • As the title clearly shows, the purpose of this sharing is to highlight on maintaining the Catholic faith in the midst of suffering in the life and ministry of CPM • Physical sufferings (economic, social, political, religious) and mental sufferings (inferior complex, dependency mentality) • Maintaining Catholic faith is presented in 3 parts

  7. Part I - from the coming of the British to the formation of Yangon Diocese (1825-1877) • the contact with Christianity in 1602 through Portuguese traders • Therefore, the first Christian form introduced to Myanmar is in Catholic form.

  8. Part I Continued… • Anglican form of Christianity in Myanmar can be found since 1825 when the British stepped into the land of Myanmar by means of 3Ms. • Unfortunately, due to the policy of BEIC (British East India Company), the Anglican chaplains were not able to do mission works in Myanmar until 1854.

  9. Continued… • The main contribution of Anglican mission for Myanmar in this period is on education. Many had come to know Christian Gospel through Anglican mission schools. • Anglican-led mission schools got notable attraction both from the British Government and general public.

  10. Continued… • It is noteworthy that a part of the Common Prayer Book (CPB) was translated into Myanmar in this period which helped many local people to know the Catholic faith which in turn helped them to survive in difficult time. • The CPB is in fact crucial for maintaing the AngloCatholic Anglican spirituality.

  11. Continued… • The commitment and sacrifice of the Anglican missionaries were concretized with the establishment of the Yangon Diocese in 1877, February 24.

  12. Part II : from Yangon Diocese to the formation of the church of the Province of Myanmar - 1877-1970 • Yangon diocese blossomed into the Church of the Province of Myanmar (Anglican) in 1970 February 24.

  13. Part II- from Yangon Diocese to the formation of the church of the Province of Myanmar 1877-1970 • Somehow, it can be said that this period was a difficult and challenging period of Anglicans in Myanmar. • First major challenge: the Japanese occupation (1942) – Christians were suspected as British spies; church services could no longer be conducted in the churches; priest at great risk of their lives had to look after the scattered flock • Second major challenge: The British missionaries left the Church in Myanmar as the Government expelled all missionaries in 1966.

  14. It seems very challenging for the church in Myanmar since the church was unprepared to stand on its own in many respects. • Like most of the heroes from the Bible, the church in Myanmar seemed to be unready when God first called for His ministry. • Third major challenge: Civil war The civil-war between the Government and many ethnic-armed groups caused the situation worse and worse. • In Many parishes, there was no priest, no formal service. But the church survives!! How so? The answer is: Through the Anglo-Catholic faith and practice!!

  15. Continued… While running away from their own place because of the civil war, Lay people gathered by themselves for morning devotion/night devotion; praying the prayers they know by-heart from the Common Prayer Book; singing hymns they know by-heart from the translated hymn book. • A story of Bishop Kyaw Mya sending his priests to the IDP (internally displaced people) in remote/border areas.

  16. Continued... • The fruit is amazing! See the churches in Thailand. (12 Anglican Churches now!!) • Donation to the SPG after the world war II (1945) • Sense of a center that is uniting and binding force • Sense of belong to One, Holy, Catholic, and apostolic church

  17. The Yangon Diocese was forced to grow and extend to be a province as the Government practiced close-door-policy which did not allow church delegates to attend Provincial councils in India. • In fact, the challenges are not small but the church successfully faced all challenges for self-determination and self-reliance.

  18. Part III: from the birth year of CPM to the present- 1970- up to now • One major challenge: to balance and adjust the staff of Yangon Diocese and of Province (Yangon Diocese only had honorary secretary, honorary treasurer and honorary department heads nearly for TWO decades!) • Episcopacy and the Common Prayer Book continued to be the focal points for the unity of the Church

  19. Continued... • A young and unprepared Province did well to preserve its unity and growth mainly through its Catholic Faith (Prayer book, three-fold order) • Interestingly, it played even a leading role among other Christian Denominations in Myanmar • Majority of the local neighbors (Buddhists) have respects on CPM because its faiths and practices are contextually acceptable (focus on Bishop, wearing robe, pray for the dead, etc).

  20. Conclusion • In the course of last 138 years, the Anglican Church in Myanmar has encountered many challenges/sufferings (both physical and mental). • Interestingly enough, the Anglican Church has not only survived amid challenges/sufferings but also achieved confidence and reputation for its stand on the Truth of the Gospel.

  21. Help us daddy • An appealing eyes and looks of the so-called refugees • To me, they are not merely refugees; they are evangelists!!! • They have been extending the Kingdom of God and Christian Gospel by simple and strong Catholic Faith!!

  22. The historical events, experiences, and current situation of CPM show that ....... • Suffering demands faithfulness • Faithfulness demands endurance • Endurance is gained through Catholic faith

  23. And the Catholic faith is to know that the Church is instituted by God and it is... • One – with God and with Communion of the saints • Holy – we are called to be different (Rom. 12:1-2); and swim against the current flow as a living fish • Catholic – we belong to wider church • Apostolic – highly revere episcopacy and three-fold order

  24. Thank You

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