3350 Telling the Story of Jesus: The Word of God in the Myanmar Church's Life Today
austraLasia #3350
Telling
the Story of Jesus: The Word of God in the Myanmar
Church's Life Today
YANGON: 16 January
2013
-- From 7-8
January, Fr
Francis Moloney, a former Provincial of the
Australia-Pacific Province,
and currently the Senior Professorial Fellow at Australian
Catholic
University, spoke to all the Bishops of Myanmar. The meeting
was held
in a newly constructed building at the Catholic Bishops
Conference,
Myanmar. Organised by the Salesian Archbishop of
Yangon,
Archbishop Charles Bo, these two days were spent reflecting
on two
matters that the Bishops regarded as urgent for their
Church, as it
emerges from many years of "hidden life."
Following the directives of the Council and especially the
subsequent
passion of Pope Benedict XVI, Fr Moloney first spoke to the
Bishops of
the importance of the Word of God in the life of the Church
today.
Lively discussions surrounded the talks, as so much that was
poined out
to the Bishops had been impossible in the Church of Myanmar
for many
years. On the second day, Fr Moloney picked up the theme of
the Synod
for the Churches of Asia, held some years ago in Chiang Mai,
Thailand:
Telling the story of Jesus. Again the Bishops showed a keen
interest in
this presentation and its consequences, especially in the way
in which
Fr Moloney used the Gospel narratives, that are so familiar to
us, to
reach back to the person, teaching, death and resurrection of
Jesus,
which is always surprising.
The days together were also marked by shared Eucharistic
celebrations,
at which Fr Moloney both presided and preached, and shared
prayer and
Eucharistic adoration. The atmosphere was universally cordial,
and the
days closed with a final dinner, held at the Archbishop's
Residence,
Yangon.
As well as working with the Bishops, Fr Moloney spent some
time at St
Joseph's National Seminary, Yangon, where he addressed, and
received
questions, from the 135 seminarians from all corners of
Myanmar. The
presence of an international scholar in the Seminary, and the
lively
faith and intellectual activity of so many young minds were
mutually
enriching. Fr Moloney also had a meal with the staff of the
Seminary,
where informal discussions about priestly and intellectual
formation
were at the centre of discussions.
