Mandalay Archbishop: Myanmar quake 'will not extinguish hope'

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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