The first ordination in forty years in northern Laos will be celebrated on January 29, 2011.
It
was to have been held December 12, 2010 but was delayed by almost two
months.
The new priest, Pierre (Peter) Buntha Silaphet, is thirty
years-old, was born in Phnom Van (Sayaboury - Northern Laos) and belongs
to the K'Hmù ethnic group.
A coincidence that the
Catholic community in Laos judges providential, Pierre’s Lao name is
"Buntha," as that of the last ethnic K'Hmù priest, ordained in Luang
Prabang February 22, 1970: 41 years ago, by Msgr. Alessandro
Staccioli, vicar apostolic from February 1968 to 1975.
In that year the
government decided to expel all foreign missionaries, who were refused
the right of return.
Since then Fr. Tito Banchong, after the expulsion
of foreign priests, has remained alone in the Vicariate, and
understandably was overjoyed to give the announcement of this new
ordination.
The small Catholic community will celebrates with Pierre Buntha
when he returns to his native village of Phnom Van (Sayabouri), after
his ordination, which will take place in Takhek, 800 km further south
The ordaining bishop is Mgr. Marie-Louis Ling, Apostolic Vicar of Pakse,
an ethnic K'hmù like Buntha.
The new diocesan priest belongs to one of the families
evangelized between 1960 and 1975 by Father Pierre Marie Bonometti, Omi,
in Ban Houei Thong in the province of Luang Prabang.
The apostolic administrator, Mgr. Tito Banchong, received all the
necessary permits from the authorities to celebrate this event.
Unofficially, it has been made clear to those involved that the
ordination ceremony must not attract too much attention, and instead
take the form of a village holiday.
Since 1975, the Vicariate of Luang
Prabang has been without a cathedral, but only small chapels around the
country.
The government is closely monitoring the activity of church
life and Christian minorities.
The Catholic Church is present across the
four apostolic vicariates: Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet and
Vientiane.
There are 39,725 Catholics, representing 0.65% of the Lao
population.
SIC: AN/INT'L