The Diocese of Myitkyina, in Myanmar’s conflict-hit Kachin State, has inaugurated the country’s first statue of Carlo Acutis, presenting the young Catholic as a model of faith for youth growing up amid war and social breakdown.
The statue was installed at the Cathedral of St. Columbanus and unveiled during celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of priestly ordination and the first anniversary of the episcopate of Bishop John La Sam of Myitkyina, according to a report by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
“The intention behind the statue is that young people can learn from Carlo Acutis how to bear witness to the faith in their lives, even in times of trial, especially during this difficult time the nation is experiencing,” said Father John Aung Htoi, a priest of the Diocese of Myitkyina.
“It is also intended to highlight that young people in Myanmar can draw inspiration from Acutis to live their faith through the internet and social media,” he added.
Father Htoi said Acutis offers an example of Christian witness for young people facing the pressures of life in a country torn apart by armed conflict.
“Young Burmese face many social and moral threats: drugs, violence, family disintegration, crime, and the use of social media in a context lacking legal protections,” he said.
“Therefore, they are frightened and seek points of reference such as the teachings of the Church. They need to trust in institutions like the Catholic Church, which has solid foundations and encourages them to build their lives on the rock that is Christ himself,” he added.
He said Catholic communities in Myitkyina and other dioceses continue to sustain youth outreach despite the instability, organizing youth camps, faith formation initiatives, and educational programs aimed at accompanying young people in their growth.
He added that young people in Myanmar need understanding, guidance, and trust. “Young people are a vital resource for the future, and therefore we must take care of them,” he said.
Young people are among the most vulnerable populations in areas affected by fighting, with many living on the streets, orphaned, or lacking family protection, placing them at risk of becoming a “lost generation.”
In northern Myanmar, the Archdiocese of Mandalay has responded through the Don Bosco Youth Center, founded in 2014, which shelters about 60 adolescents and young people from difficult backgrounds, many of them orphans or street children.
Salesian missionaries at the center provide shelter, food, accommodation, schooling, healthcare, and education, along with sports, music, and cultural activities rooted in the Salesian charism.
Myanmar has remained in turmoil since the military coup in 2021, which ended nearly a decade of democratic transition. Fides reported that thousands of young people initially joined peaceful protests before later taking up arms with the People’s Defense Forces and ethnic minority groups.
The enforcement of a conscription law in 2024 further deepened the crisis, with 60,000 young men forcibly recruited and sent to the front lines. Nearly 100,000 young people have since gone into hiding or fled abroad, particularly to Thailand.
Young people aged 15 to 35 make up 33 percent of Myanmar’s population of about 60 million, with a median age of 27.
While the 2021 coup abruptly ended a period of expanded freedoms, it also intensified political awareness among young people seeking to rebuild the country on the values of peace, justice, democracy, dialogue, and unity.
