After years of military occupation, Loikaw’s Christ the King Cathedral celebrates Easter Vigil again—reviving faith and hope in war-torn Myanmar.
Newsroom (06/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) For the first time in three years, the faithful of Loikaw, the capital of Myanmar’s Kayah State, gathered in the Christ the King Cathedral to celebrate the Easter Vigil. After enduring military occupation, bombings, and mass displacement, priests and parishioners stood once again beneath the vaulted roof of their cathedral—a moment that symbolized not just the resurrection of Christ but also the resilience of a shattered community reclaiming its sacred ground.
A Cathedral Once Occupied, Now Restored
In November 2023, the Christ the King Cathedral complex was seized by the Myanmar army, which converted it into a military base during fierce battles against resistance forces. Its pastoral center was bombed, forcing Bishop Celso Ba Shwe, local clergy, and about 80 civilians who had sought refuge there to flee into exile.
For months, the once-vibrant diocese of Loikaw fell silent. Churches were shuttered, priests displaced, and congregations scattered among the forests and borderlands. Yet amid devastation, the spirit of the faithful endured.
Recently, the military’s withdrawal allowed two priests to reclaim the cathedral grounds. When the Easter Vigil flame was lit this year, it marked not just a liturgical celebration but a profound restoration of belonging. “People of God can once again invoke peace, salvation, and liberation,” said Fr. Paul Tinreh, one of Loikaw’s priests. “Our hope for Easter is victory over death, darkness, and despair, for all our people, in communion with the risen Christ.”
Bishop Celso Ba Shwe’s Enduring Witness
Though still displaced, Bishop Celso Ba Shwe remains a steadfast presence among those living in makeshift shelters in the village of Soudu. “I stand by their side and, with other priests and religious, we make our solidarity known,” the bishop shared. “Together we live Easter—the passage from darkness to light. We ask God for a time of peace and reconciliation.”
His words carry deep resonance in Kayah State, where the conflict continues to uproot entire communities. Nationwide, more than 3.6 million people have been displaced since the 2021 military coup, and humanitarian observers warn that number could soon surpass four million.
Faith Amid War
Despite the dangers, local Catholics and other Christian communities across Myanmar continue to gather for worship. Joseph Kung, a lay Catholic educator in Yangon, described the Easter celebrations this year as acts of courage and conviction. “People are filling the churches; the faithful are not afraid,” he said. “It is a sign of great faith and resilience. We know that evil does not have the last word—Christ has conquered death.”
A National Call for Reconciliation
During Holy Week in Yangon, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, urged the faithful to transform Easter into a season of peace. “If we walk alone, if we think selfishly about only ourselves, we do not build peace,” he told worshippers during the Holy Thursday Mass. “Peace is born from meeting and accepting the other as a brother and a gift from God.”
The Cardinal’s message echoed through a nation torn by division: “If we aspire to peace, we must come toward one another, shake hands, and involve ourselves with those in need. Easter is an opportunity to make peace.”
Light Reborn in Loikaw
As hymns rose from the reopened cathedral, the people of Loikaw embraced the Easter Vigil as both a spiritual and civic testament. The flames of hundreds of candles illuminated faces marked by grief, endurance, and faith. For them, the return to Christ the King Cathedral is not merely the reopening of a church—it is the rekindling of a hope long held in exile.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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