The bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila expressed the Filipino people’s “closeness and solidarity” with the people of Myanmar during the “Washing of the Feet” ritual on Holy Thursday.
One of the four “new missionaries” whose feet were washed by Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of Manila, is a missionary nun of a congregation established in Yangon.
Bishop Pabillo washed the feet of Sister Venus Marie Pegar of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier as a sign of solidarity with the people of Myanmar who continue to grapple with a military coup.
“We stand with the people of Myanmar in their struggle for democracy and peace,” said the prelate in in his homily at the Manila Cathedral.
Bishop Pabillo called on the people of Myanmar to “exhaust all peaceful means” and enter into a dialogue to put an end to the conflict.
Sister Pegar, the first Filipino SFX nun, said her congregation is grateful to the Archdiocese of Manila for including the people of Myanmar in their prayers during the Holy Week.
The missionary nun, who is based in the Diocese of San Pablo in Laguna province, said it is “important for the people of Myanmar to know that they are not alone.”
“It has been the congregation’s mission to accompany the people in their search for democracy through peaceful means,” she said.
The congregation has at least 150 mission stations in Myanmar, a country that has a total population of about 54 million people, of whom 800,000 are Catholics.
Myanmar’s military seized power on February 1 on the grounds of election fraud and arrested and detained the country’s civilian leaders.
More than 500 people have already been killed in nearly two months of demonstrations against the coup.
