Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, an envoy of Pope Benedict XVI from the Vatican in Rome, arrived in Burma on Wednesday to attend the 100th anniversary of Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Rangoon.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the general-secretary of the National League for Democracy, also attended the ceremony.
French priests built Saint Mary’s Cathedral in 1911; the 100th anniversary was November 29.
In the ceremony, Cardinal Martino read a message sent by Pope Benedict XVI in English, Latin and Burmese.
“His message urged Catholics to actively take part in building the nation, providing education and health services and doing development work. He urged Catholics to serve religion and Burma in accord with Jesus Christ’s commandments,” said Father Tin Win, the executive secretary of the All Burma Federation of Priests.
In Burma, there are more than three million Christians; about 700,000 are Catholics.
