AfricaAdvent 2008
One of the brothers of the Community was in Cambodia at the end of last year. He writes:
Starting Advent in Cambodia had something very significant to it: being together and praying with these people who waited so courageously for peace and liberty.
On the Saturday, young adults from all over the diocese of Phnom Penh, joined by others from Kompong Cham, came together at the parish of St Joseph of Psar Toey in Phnom Penh. The meeting was led by a small group of young people who had spent three months in Taizé. The Taizé brother introduced the “Letter to those who want to follow Christ”, written by Brother Alois. Next there was a session of small group work; they brought the fruit of their reflection, to be reproduced in an artistic way on a large cloth of Cambodian silk that was confided to the brother to take back to Taizé.
After a meal together, there was a prayer open to everyone in the Church. That is how nearly 500 people started Advent. During the prayer, the young people placed candles at the foot of the Cross, as a sign of offering.
In both Phnom Penh and Battambang, a visit such as this from “outside” provided an opportunity for young and less young to meet together in a way that they would not normally do. The “Letter from Cochabamba” was read by young people, adults, sisters and priests, and then meditated in silence. The sharing that followed made possible an exchange in some depth, whereas in daily life people are so absorbed by the pressure of tasks that have to be done.
The previous evening, the mass was prepared in a very meditative way by a young man who had been to Taizé. At the offertory, each person brought an incense stick which they deposited in front of the Cross.
A light of hope
2007: During the month of November, Brother Alois, accompanied by another brother, travelled in Asia, to visit the brothers living in Korea and to lead young adult meetings in several countries. As part of this journey, Brother Alois was determined to stop off in the country of Cambodia, where the Christians were heavily repressed during a dark period of recent history. The brothers were able to visit the country’s three dioceses, going first to Kompong Tom and from there to Kompong Cham, with the prayer at Phnom Penh as the last stage of the journey.
On November 29th, more than 600 young people were present at a prayer in the parish of Saint Joseph in Phnom Penh, during which the Prior of Taizé expressed his ‘great joy’ at coming to pray in the capital of Cambodia. Meditating on Christ’s words: “You are the light of the world” (John 8:12), Brother Alois was able to emphasize the hope produced by the rebirth of the Church in Cambodia: “Even though your Church is very small, its light shines as far as Taizé, our home in France.”
Calling to mind the darkness that was not able to overcome the light, Brother Alois thought of the discussions that he had had, of the stories of the past, of the visit to Tuol Sleng, the old Khmer Rouge prison. He also had in mind his visit to Tan Kok, which has become a place of pilgrimage. It was there that the body of Mgr Salas, the young Apostolic Vicar, was found close to a pagoda, dead from exhaustion. Throughout this visit, it was clear that the light had not been extinguished by all the suffering experienced.
Today, the two dimensions of prayer and solidarity are intimately linked in the life of the local Christian communities. In addition to the work of non-governmental organisations, there are a multitude of unobtrusive small initiatives that respond to immediate needs. At Kompong Tom, in premises attached to the parish, a young lay person co-ordinates aid for the disabled, many of whom are victims of land mines. This is very practical help which aims to give back independence to people with disabilities, by providing them with a wheelchair, or with the minimum needed to start a small shop.
At Ko Rokha, women with great family problems have been given a plot of land to cultivate, providing them with a small income and allowing them to rediscover the joy of working together – whilst they still retain such negative memories of collective work in the time of Pol Pot.
In Phnom Penh, the parish of Boeung Tampun has also decided to create a place of welcome which cares for sick people who have come from the provinces and are often very poor. Brother Alois stressed this link between prayer and solidarity in the life of Christians: “It is good to see how your parishes and communities are places of hope, places for prayer together and where solidarity with the poorest people is expressed.”
“Brother Alois’ visit has an important meaning for the Christians of Cambodia; it’s like a sign that they belong to the universal Church” said Sok - a young Cambodian from the team preparing the visit – in an interview with UCAN press. “In living through the heavy trials experienced by their country, the Christians of Cambodia have found, in prayer, the courage to persevere. This is a hope that shines far beyond the country’s frontiers, and comes to us from the trust that God is always present in our lives, as in the history of our country.”