A leading archbishop in Myanmar has hailed the upcoming beatification of
the south-east Asian nation’s first native son as a sign of the Pope’
love for the Church in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
"We are delighted
to know that the first Burmese Blessed will be Isidore Ngei Ko Lat. The
Holy Father is close to Myanmar and this first Blessed is the sign of
Pope Francis and the Holy See's love and attention," said Archbishop
Charles Bo of Yangon.
His remarks came soon after Pope Francis on
Monday authorized a decree recognizing the martyrdom of Italian priest
Fr. Mario Vergara of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME
) and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, a lay catechist, martyred in Shadaw
(Myanmar) May 24, 1950.
The recognition of their martyrdom was
among 12 decrees, including a miracle and 10 heroic virtues, that Pope
Francis authorized. The other upcoming beatification is of 19th century
Italian nun, Giovannina Franks, through whose intercession a miracle has
been recognized.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Archbishop Bo described
the "great joy and happiness," of the Catholic community, caught by
surprise by the long-awaited announcement. The journey began in May
2008, when the Catholic Bishops' Conference wrote a letter to Pope
Benedict XVI to "humbly ask the Pope to authorize the study of the
cause."
The beatification of Fr. Vergara and his catechist, the
bishops wrote, will be a source of " encouragement" for the whole
community to live" a faith more in line " with the Gospel and to witness
to it "in a brave and heroic" way, even at the cost of dying because of
hatred for the faith and giving their lives "for the Gospel."
Archbishop
Bo said the Church in Myanmar is preparing to celebrate 500 years of
history and hopes for a visit by Pope Francis to the country. He said
that the beatification is a first step on a long journey and “there are
many others", because they have many martyrs in Myanmar, who deserve
sainthood.