Lent begins with renewed call for prayer, solidarity with suffering Myanmar

Church leaders across Asia are urging the faithful to unite prayer, fasting, and acts of charity in solidarity with people suffering under conflict as Christians worldwide begin the Lenten season this Wednesday. 

They point especially to Myanmar, where hopes for peace remain fragile five years after the military coup plunged the country into turmoil.

In a reflection shared with Jesuit communities across the region, Fr. Girish Santiago, Regional Superior of the Jesuits in Myanmar, recalled February 1, 2021, as one of the most decisive and tragic turning points in the country’s modern history.

On that day, the military seized power, abruptly ending a decade-long democratic transition and triggering nationwide unrest and armed conflict.

Now, five years on, the consequences continue to weigh heavily on communities across Myanmar.

According to Fr. Girish, the coup not only shattered political hopes but also unleashed a humanitarian crisis marked by displacement, economic hardship, and deep social divisions.

“For many communities,” he said, “this date symbolizes a choice between fear and conscience, a reawakening of moral resistance, and the cost of standing for truth, justice, and human dignity.”

He described the anniversary as both a day of mourning for lost lives and lost democracy, and a reminder that peace without justice remains fragile.

The reflection was shared as Jesuit leaders gathered for their annual assembly of major superiors organized by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.