Pope Francis, Thein Sein to be invited to attend 500th anniversary of Catholic ...

Pope Francis, Thein Sein to be invited to attend 500th anniversary of Catholic Church's presence in Myanmar

Published on Sunday, 19 January 2014 19:28

Press conference on the 500th anniversary of the Roman Catholicism's arrival to Myanmar held in Yangon on January 17 (Photo - EMG)

YANGON-Pope Francis and President Thein Sein will be invited to attend the 500th anniversary of the Roman Catholicism's arrival to Myanmar, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar (CBCM).

CBCM's secretary Bishop Fr. Leo Mang told the press yesterday that the 500th anniversary ceremony will be held to show gratitude to the pioneer missionaries who spread Christianity in Myanmar and educate the public with the history of Roman Catholicism in Myanmar to let them know that local Catholics have been faithfully taking part in the building of the country and the Roman Catholicism had arrived in Myanmar long before it was colonised by the British.

"We will pray throughout the whole year to mark the 500th anniversary of the Roman Catholic Church's arrival to Myanmar," said Bishop Fr. Leo Mang. "The closing ceremony will be held nationwide on November 21 to 23 and an invitation has been sent to the Pope to attend the ceremony. We will also send an official invitation to President Thein in February,"

If the Pope attends the ceremony, the CBCM will ask President Thein Sein to preside it on a state-level. The closing ceremony will be held at St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Yangon on November 21 and 22 and at Aung San Stadium on November 23 with ethnic dance and song performances.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/pope-francis-thein-sein-to-be-invited-to-attend-500th-anniversary-of-catholic/