austraLasia 938
New Thai Salesian Bishop comments on recent deaths in Southern
Province
BANGKOK: 2nd November '04 -- Bishop-elect Joseph Prathan
Sridanusil, whose diocese of Surat Thani covers the southern provinces of
Thailand where there has been much unrest and most recently more than 80 deaths
in a riot on 25th October, has expressed his sorrow at the loss of so many
lives. "On a personal level, I feel so sad that those people have to die such a
tragic death. I am not placing any blame on any party as I do not have
enough data, but such deaths are a result of sin in the world", he said in a
recent interview sourced from UCAN, www.ucanews.com
Bishop-elect Prathan indicated that under
his leadership the diocese would seek to strengthen dialogue with other
religions, since it is his firm belief that "finding ways to solve conflicts
from the religious perspective, such as through dialogue, collaboration and
patience, is the key."
Catholics form less than one percent of the
entire Thai population. The region covered by the Surat Thani diocese has
the majority of Muslims in the country. Their total number is somewhere
between three and six million.
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