Cardinal Czerny visits “world’s most persecuted people”

Cardinal Michael Czerny: Our priority as a dicastery is to accompany and support the bishops in the field. In a way, the response is the same wherever we go. It would’ve been the same if I’d gone to New Zealand: We go where we’re invited, to try to respond to what our hosts expect of us. We focus on meeting with the bishops to listen to them, encourage them, and, if possible, help them.

In Bangladesh, the bishops invited us to attend the jubilee of the Justice and Peace Commission of the local Episcopal Conference — the body responsible for social issues. They were celebrating the commission's 50th anniversary and asked us to come and preside over the celebrations and meet the various people involved in this pastoral mission.

Catholics in Bangladesh represent only 0.3% of the country's population, which is estimated to reach approximately 175.7 million by 2025.

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Cardinal Czerny: I think it was important to him because it was a concrete encounter. He could’ve met migrants in hundreds of other places, but this is where he decided to go. There he saw the tragic situation that unfortunately exists in many other places too.

The plight of refugees

Cardinal Czerny: It's better — that's what everyone there told us. A concrete example: There’s a project that uses bamboo, a plant that grows very quickly, to build houses in the camp. When we visited the families living there, we saw these houses. They were very poor, but at least had real walls and a real roof. This is a real improvement for the people living in the camp. But the situation remains dire.

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Cardinal Czerny: It's hard to say; but there are said to be over a million refugees in the region. There were nine camps at the beginning, now there are about 20. And although the influx of migrants has slowed, people are still arriving regularly. The work of the local Caritas in this camp is very organized, according to what we were told by people from the local communities.

Cardinal Czerny: The tragedy that struck me the most is that the children don’t have access to a school. It's really sad because some of them have been there since 2017. I’ve visited many camps in my life, but I’ve always seen a school for the children. There are a lot of them, about 50% of the population. I don't understand why, but they can't receive an education in Bengali or in their native language.

We met with a local official who assured us that they were working on something ... It's cruel: by not finding a solution to help the parents, we’re condemning these children. Indeed, one of the main reasons migrants flee is to be able to guarantee a better education for their children.

Initiatives to help

Cardinal Czerny: Caritas is trying to intervene and help the children by organizing vocational training programs, particularly in the textile sector, so that they don’t spend their childhood without learning anything.

Caritas encourages community life, which is difficult for these displaced populations, and also intervenes in the areas of hygiene, ecology, and health. It promotes human rights, and empowers women. The goal is to enable them to live in community without succumbing to the violence that can erupt in these places. They’re doing an excellent job.

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Cardinal Czerny: It's complicated, but it's important to remember that Bangladesh, even though it’s an extremely poor country, has welcomed these migrants and found them a place to live.

Persecution of Christians

Cardinal Czerny: Perhaps not directly with the community, but we have of course discussed it with the Apostolic Nuncio. And since our trip, the attacks have intensified. Molotov cocktails were recently thrown at the cathedral. A cooperative center in Narayangan (Madanpur), equipped with a chapel where textile workers and their families usually gathered for Sunday Mass, was set on fire.

It's terrifying. We celebrated a Mass of sorrow and hope with them at a facility belonging to the parish in Narayangan.

The community affected is mainly made up of internally displaced workers. These are the people who sew our designer clothes. When we buy a fancy shirt, it was often made there, by these people.

They are indigenous peoples; some of them became Catholic when they arrived in the region to work. It’s among these populations that the Catholic Church is growing the most there. It was a moving encounter; learning about their daily lives and perceiving their suffering left a strong impression on me.

Interreligious relations

Cardinal Czerny: They are remarkable pastors. They’re very devoted and united. Their main concern is to serve. It's always very impressive: When you visit a school, a clinic, or another place supported by the Catholic Church and ask how many people are attended, the numbers are very high, and 90% of the people who come are Muslims.

The Church's service is for the people; they don't just take care of their own. When I asked them why the Church acts this way, one of the bishops replied, "Christ taught us to love. So, as disciples of Christ, we love them out of charity." I find this a truly touching sign, because even in very difficult conditions, they continue to serve the entire population.

Cardinal Czerny: During our visit, at an event we attended, there was an official Muslim representative and another Buddhist representative. They’re very thoughtful people who act as bridges between communities.

Catholic schools play an important role in this dialogue, for example when former students become officials. They’re grateful for their good education.

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Cardinal Czerny: Of course.