Message of Archbishop Charles Bo
at inter-religious prayer service for Nargis Anniversary
On 2 May 2009, at 9:00 A.M (local time) inter-religious prayers service was held to mark the first
anniversary of Cyclone Nargis in St. Peter's Cathedral, Pathein, Myanmar, with the leaders of
different religions (Buddhist, Muslim, Hindus, etc...) and the local authorities. Archbishop Charles
Bo (Yangon Arch diocese) and Bp John Hsane Hgyi (Pathein Diocese) were also present for the
occasion. Archbishop Charles Bo delievered following message.
This is a significant moment. Today we
are united in tears and we are united in
hope. This is the most moving moment,
because we, the living gathered here,
are indebted to those who died. Last
year on this same day, 150,000 of our
country men and women, and children
perished. We are painfully aware that
they are not just numbers, they are
fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and
children to many those who survive. A
pestering wound gnaws the heart of our
brothers and sisters in the delta. Death
ruled supreme for a day. Yet humanity
Archbishop Charles Bo visited the Nargis Victim in May, 2009 asserted rapidly that day. Their death
unleashed in every human heart a
stream of compassion. Compassion became a common religion that day. After a year of that
mutilating tragedy, we are gathered here today affirming our common humanity – a humanity
that could be moved by the human tear, a humanity that rushed to help a wounded brother
and sister, proclaiming the overwhelming power of Compassion.
We all come from various backgrounds – Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and other faiths. The
cyclone did not discriminate. It attacked us all. As darkness danced its gory death, the light of
faith lit a small lamp in our heart – the lamp of compassion. One of the noble truths of
Buddhism is Compassion – Karuna. Lord Buddha constantly urged his disciples that Karuna-
the encompassing love should become the common thread of all human activity. Metta
( Mercy) and Karuna (Compassion) are the lamp posts of Buddhism. Islam gives 98 attributes
to God. The foremost among them is 'the God who is merciful and Compassionate'. The whole
of Koran the word 'compassion' appears hundreds of times, affirming the great attribute God
shares with human beings. Christianity calls God as the father of Compassion. Jesus gave a
very moving Sermon on the mount. His Beatitudes speak of noble qualities of human beings:
foremost among them being the compassion. The Parable of the Good Samaritan, where the
unknown victim was helped by the Samaritan man, who counted no cost, looked for no
religion but reached out to a man in need remains the most inspiring story for the Christian
works of charity all over the world. God, according to Christianity, is the Father of Compassion.
On that sad night last year, provoked by the colossal tragedy and inspired by our religious
beliefs, we, the people of Myanmar, rose as a one family on the first week of Cyclone Nargis.
Every one, the poor and the rich, even from the far off Myitkyina, rushed with whatever they
had. Compassion broke even the walls of Jails. Some 50 Myanmar men locked inside the Thai
Prisons rushed in with a gift of 120 US dollars – all that they managed to collect. Down the
Phyapon river, the Buddhist monks were swimming across the violent waves to save Christian
women while the Christian groups were reaching out to the Buddhist villages with emergency
supplies. The Muslim brethren in Yangon, organized one of the biggest emergency food
