The Catholic Church in Laos is entering a new phase of leadership as local clergy and lay Catholics take on greater responsibility for sustaining communities that have endured decades of isolation, limited resources, and government restrictions.
Bishop Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, SJ, apostolic prefect of Battambang in Cambodia and president of the Episcopal Conference of Laos and Cambodia (CELAC), said the Church is witnessing a generational transition as veteran church leaders step aside and younger clergy emerge.
“In Laos, we are witnessing the transition to a new generation,” Figaredo told the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
“There is also a new generation of bishops and priests within the Church. The older ones, like Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, can no longer fully exercise their ministry. Thus, a new chapter opens, in the sign of hope,” the prelate added.
The Church in Laos serves about 50,000 Catholics, less than 1 percent of the country’s population, through four apostolic vicariates supported by about 50 priests, three bishops, religious sisters, and catechists.
Figaredo said today’s Church leaders operate in a very different environment from earlier generations that benefited from missionary presence and international formation before the communist takeover in the mid-1970s.
“The new generation,” he said, “doesn’t possess the same wealth of human, spiritual, pastoral, and cultural experiences that existed when the missionaries were present. However, it is precisely in this poverty of resources that great creativity emerges.”
That creativity is evident in the growing role of lay Catholics.
“Their help is fundamental,” Figaredo said, noting that laypeople increasingly support parish life, outreach, and seminary formation.
The Church continues its mission within a tightly regulated environment.
“There is talk of modernization, but everything remains very controlled by the government, and there is no full freedom,” Figaredo said. “Despite this, the Church manages to navigate this framework with prudence and wisdom.”
Pastoral work in remote villages often requires prior authorization from authorities.
“Entering the villages is not easy,” he said. “The authorities must be informed beforehand, and officials often ask for explanations about the activities being carried out.”
Despite those challenges, baptisms and conversions continue, while new vocations offer hope for the future.
“This inspires confidence in the future because vocations to the priesthood are emerging and reaching their fullness,” Figaredo said.
“Laotian Catholics have peace in their hearts. They live their faith joyfully despite the difficulties. They have a deep faith and remain faithful to Christ and his mission,” he added.
