Came to Europe on Pretext of Visiting Friends
ROME, AUGUST 20 (ZENIT.org-FIDES).- They were all cradle Catholics of good Catholic families but, up until now, they had only seen the Pope on postcards. Moreover, this was the first time they had been out of their country. Officially in Europe on the pretext of visiting relatives in Holland and France, they came to Rome to take part in World Youth Day. For the 21 young people from Laos, this was the event of a lifetime. One was a priest, two were nuns wearing their habits, 7 were young women, and 11 young men, all between the ages of 18-30, primarily from Vientiane, the administrative capital. The group was accompanied by two older Filipino nuns, who attend 50 young Catholics in the city's only parish.
A Communist country since 1953, Laos began to modernize in 1992, opening to the market economy and the rest of the world. Although the 1991 Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, some officials' narrow interpretation of this Constitutional right limits it to «the traditional beliefs of Laos,» namely Buddhism and Animism. However, in 1997 a bill was approved regulating religions' freedom of activity. Buddhism is the most widespread religion. It is fully accepted by the government.
With the assistance of an Italian priest who had been a missionary in Laos for many years and spoke Lao, the international agency «Fides» asked the group about their experience at World Youth Day. «It is a great blessing from God to be here,» answered Linthi, 30, one of the older members of the group. «It gives us a chance to see how other young people live the faith. It is an opportunity for us, who are always closed in in Laos, to come into contact with the universal Church.»
Khan Kham, 20, was even more enthusiastic: «I am deeply impressed by the faith of all these young people and their love for the Pope. If we restrict ourselves to our Laotian values, we will be saying 'no' to a great richness. Meeting the Pope was the greatest event of my life; he brings us the Word of God.»
The group was also enriched by meeting young people from other countries. Vathanathav, a pretty young lady, said: «Although everything is so different, we have different cultures, and different languages, we make friends all the same; it's easy with sign language!» The group will soon return to Laos, where the Church is more or less «tolerated.» Vathanathan knows how difficult it is to witness under these circumstances, but she is confident. «I know God will give us the grace, and the Holy Spirit will give us the courage,» she said.
Khampaseuth, another member of the group, explained: «We live in a totally Buddhist environment, but we are sure of our faith and try to spread Christian ideals to other young Laotians.» Montalak, one of the young women in the group, said that her mother is a convert from Buddhism. «The Christian religion gives me the hope that after death, which is not the end of everything, I will meet Jesus. It also teaches me to be more committed to helping others.»
One of the group said that at the official level, there are no relations between Catholics and Buddhists. «But at school, for instance, we are often asked about our religion. So we answer: 'If you can import a car (Japanese Toyotas are very popular here) what's wrong with importing the Good News of the Gospel?'»
On behalf of the Laotian group, Sayxona sends a message to every young person on earth: «While keeping our own culture, and respecting those of others, we can build unity among the young people of the world; we can become one mind and heart,» she said.
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