Tangkok – “The Church was born from the blood of the martyrs. From the blood of the martyrs and the faith of Christians, the Church has risen again. Today, 50 years later, we commemorate our martyrs and our dead: two million of them,” said the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusle MEP, at the commemoration of the Cambodian martyrs held yesterday, the Feast of Christ the King, in Tangkok, before an assembly of pilgrims from all the churches of Cambodia, in the presence of Bishop Pierre Suon Hang Ly, Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, and Jesuit Father Enrique Figaredo, Apostolic Prefect of Battambang.
The bishop recalled that “the first words of Pope Leo XIV are like a cry of hope that has become our own: ‘Peace be with you!’ Jesus’ words to his disciples the day after the Resurrection.” “Hope,” he continued, “is at the heart of our pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year. For 25 years, as pilgrims of hope, we have commemorated our martyrs, remembering all those who died during the dark years of the Pol Pot regime. Before the Cross of the Martyrs of Cambodia, we are here to reaffirm our faith and our hope.” “Fifty years ago,” he said, “Bishop Salas, Father Salem, and Father Chomraeun were right here, just a few meters from us, where our beautiful rice paddies had been transformed into vast forced labor camps. There were no more schools, only scattered families; fear and death reigned. Like the first Christians in Rome, like the hidden Christians in Japan, our bishop and his fellow priests sometimes secretly celebrated God’s Day, read a few lines from the Bible, knowing that this was forbidden and could mean instant death if they were discovered.”
This story, Bishop Schmitthaeusler continued, is fruitful today: “From the blood of our martyrs and the faith of Christians, the Church was able to rise again, and today she is here to praise God and proclaim her hope. This peace has a very sweet taste, dear brothers and sisters.” The bishop referred to the current challenges and the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand along the border between the two countries, affirming that Cambodia had been “deeply shaken” in recent months. “Our hope must be translated into action,” he urged. “Before the cross of the martyrs of Tangkok, I call upon our Church to be a peacemaker in deed and in truth.” He invited the faithful to practice “dialogue, respect for one’s neighbor, mutual listening and understanding, forgiveness and reconciliation” and to reject “every logic of revenge and violence.” “This appeal is directed to everyone: to families, in schools, at work, in our parishes, in our social lives, and on social media,” he emphasized. “Peace is our hope, but it depends on our attitude: 50 years after the atrocities of the genocide, our society longs for peace. Our Church longs for peace,” he added. And he called on the faithful to be “truly peacemakers.” Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas and numerous other martyrs were murdered by the Khmer Rouge regime between 1970 and 1977. Under the repressive Pol Pot regime, some two million Cambodians died between 1975 and 1979. Religious practices were forbidden. The Khmer Rouge murdered lay people, catechists, and missionaries, including members of the Paris Society for Foreign Missions from Cambodia, Vietnam, and France. In 2015, the Cambodian Church opened the diocesan phase of the beatification process for Joseph Chhmar Salas and 34 other martyrs. Today, the Cambodian Catholic community numbers around 23,000 members. Many young people continue to embrace the faith and seek baptism.
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