During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace and compassion toward all those enduring the horrors of war — with special attention to the people of Myanmar, who remain trapped in a devastating civil conflict.
“In different parts of the world,” the Pope said, “many continue to be tried by the violence of war.” He invited the faithful “to join me in prayer for all who are tried by the violence of war in different parts of the world,” according to Vatican News.
A Forgotten Crisis
Pope Leo urged the global community “not to forget the Burmese people and to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance,” echoing the Church’s growing concern for one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises. Nearly five years after Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, the country remains gripped by internal warfare. According to Vatican News, the conflict has caused “the death of thousands of people and the displacement of three million more.”
What began as peaceful protests following the coup has become a nationwide struggle for freedom, as pro-democracy forces and ethnic militias resist the military junta’s rule. Entire villages have been reduced to rubble by airstrikes, and millions lack food, medicine, and shelter. The United Nations estimates that over half the nation now needs humanitarian assistance.
A Wound That Preceded the Coup
The Holy Father’s words also revive international attention to the Rohingya crisis, a dark chapter that predates the current war. As Vatican News reports, Myanmar’s military has long been accused of committing atrocities “with genocidal intent” against the Rohingya Muslim minority, including killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of villages beginning in 2017.
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in the aftermath, while those who remained in Myanmar continue to live under severe restrictions and discrimination. The same generals responsible for that campaign later seized full control of the country in 2021.
A Prayer for Healing
In calling the world to prayer, Pope Leo continues the Church’s mission to uphold the dignity of every person, regardless of ethnicity or creed. His appeal reflects the Catholic understanding of solidarity; the conviction that human suffering anywhere demands compassion everywhere.
For the people of Myanmar, this prayer is more than symbolic. It is a plea that the world might remember them, and that peace, long denied, might still be possible.
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