Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon has renewed his call for peace and reconciliation in Myanmar, drawing inspiration from the fragile but hopeful peace efforts between Gaza and Israel.
In a statement, the prelate reflected on Pope Leo XIV’s recent appeal at the Vatican on November 5. The pontiff urged the world “not to forget the Burmese people and to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance.”
Cardinal Bo said that if two “historic adversaries” in the Middle East can choose “dialogue over destruction and silence weapons of hatred,” then the same must be possible for Myanmar, where conflict continues to devastate lives.
“Peace never explodes, but it begins quietly — as a gentle stream formed by the collective miracle of human will, faith, and compassion,” he said.
“Our primary earnest appeal goes to the army and authorities,” Bo wrote, adding that “war has never solved any issue in Israel for the past millennia, nor in our own land.”
That is the painful lesson of history,” the prelate said. “It takes far greater courage to wage peace than to wage war.”
Cardinal Bo lamented the immense suffering of ordinary citizens and appealed for a national effort toward healing and reconstruction.
“The people of Myanmar long for peace and reconciliation — the return of the millions in IDP camps, and the rebuilding of all the destroyed towns and villages,” he said.
He also called for the reinstatement of “thousands of doctors and teachers who were dismissed or punished for their role in the Civil Disobedience Movement,” warning that the country’s young people have become “the lost generation.”
Cardinal Bo emphasized that peace “is not born of power — it grows from courage, the courage to forgive, to listen, and to love again.”
He said reconciliation does not mean forgetting the pain or injustice of the past but “transforming it,” urging Myanmar to pursue “Truth and Reconciliation” as the path forward.
“The dawn of this nation will never come from the power of guns, but from the courage of hearts willing to forgive, to rebuild, and hope again. Our great nation, our golden land, my dear brothers and sisters, can rise again — if we dare to believe compassion is stronger than fear, and love is greater than hatred,” he said.
