People ride a scooter
past the rubble of damaged Buddhist pagoda in Mandalay on April 3, 2025,
following the March 28 earthquake. (AFP or licensors)
Mandalay Archbishop: Myanmar quake 'will not extinguish
hope'
As the death toll from Myanmar's deadly earthquake rises
over 3,000, Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay has urged the faithful to
trust in God’s mercy amid the devastation caused by the March 28 earthquake.
By LiCAS News
The Archbishop of Mandalay has called on the Catholic
faithful of Myanmar to remain united in prayer and solidarity following the
disaster that struck the central region of the country and left more than a
thousand people dead in his Archdiocese.
“The more we suffer, the more we hope in God. Today, our
people have hope in God’s mercy, in the certainty of his love,” Archbishop
Marco Tin Win said in an interview with Fides News Agency.
The Archbishop said there is “a divine message that
transcends our human intelligence and understanding,” adding, “our only way is
to entrust ourselves to his merciful love and reaffirm our hope in God’s plan
of salvation.”
Archbishop Tin Win, whose jurisdiction includes the
hardest-hit areas between Mandalay and Sagaing, described a widespread
humanitarian crisis exacerbated by disrupted power and communication
lines.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck
central Myanmar on March 28 has risen to 3,145, according to the latest figures
released Thursday by the country’s military-led government.
Authorities said search and rescue teams are continuing to
recover bodies from the rubble nearly a week after the disaster, as
humanitarian organizations rush to deliver emergency medical aid and shelter to
affected communities.
Speaking at a briefing in Naypyitaw, Information Minister
Maung Maung Ohn reported that at least 4,589 people were injured and 221 remain
missing.
The quake, which severely affected regions within the Archdiocese
of Mandalay, has deepened the humanitarian crisis in a country already
grappling with conflict and displacement.
Archbishop Tin Win and priests of the Curia joined displaced
residents in sleeping outdoors after the cathedral and bishop’s residence were
damaged.
“The Church of Our Lady Help of Christians in the city of
Sagaing, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in the city of Yamethin, and the
Church of Saints Joachim and Anne in the parish of Sint Kaing have collapsed,”
Archbishop Tin Win.
The local Church quickly mobilized to bring people to
safety, opening churches, monasteries, and seminaries as shelters.
Clergy and religious groups provided immediate assistance,
offering food, water, and comfort to those affected. Relief efforts remain
focused on delivering essential aid, including water, food, shelter, medicine,
and hygiene supplies.
Of the 40 churches in the diocese, three sustained the most
severe damage, while the rest suffered varying degrees of structural
cracks.
Around 25 churches are now considered unsafe for holding
services. The intermediate seminary in Mandalay was heavily damaged, and the
minor seminary in Pyin Oo Lwin also sustained structural cracks, according to
the Archdiocese.
“Even in this terrible chaos, no one feels at the mercy of
events: we suffer together, we comfort one another, and we pray together,” said
Archbishop Tin Win. “I addressed words of encouragement to the people: Do not
be afraid. We are here. The Lord tells us: I will be with you.”
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