VATICAN: 12
December
2013
-- Pope
Francis this week recognised the martyrdom of an Italian
missionary and
a local catechist who were killed for their faith in the last
century
in Myanmar, formerly Burma. 39-year old Fr. Mario Vergara of
the
Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) from
Frattamaggiore,
near Naples, Italy, and Catechist Isidore Ngei Ko Lat were
killed at
Shadaw, Myanmar, on May 24, 1950, and were dumped in the
river. The
decree on the martyrdom of the two was among 12 that Pope
Francis
authorized on Monday
The upcoming
beatification will be the first native son of for the
south-east Asian
nation and Archbishop Charles Bo sdb, Yangon, has called it 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," he
said.
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.
