In Loikaw, the Church rises again among the displaced: difficulties are mounting, but faith is also growing, says the Vicar General

Approximately 500 faithful now attend Sunday Mass at Christ the King Cathedral in the Diocese of Loikaw, according to Father Marko Phe Bya, the Vicar General. Father Phe Bya reported that people returned to the cathedral after learning that pastoral life had resumed in the center of the diocese.

The resumption of services follows a period of displacement caused by the civil war in Myanmar. In November 2023, military forces occupied the Christ the King Cathedral compound and the diocesan pastoral center. This occupation forced Bishop Celso Ba Shwe, priests, religious sisters, and the faithful to leave the area. The military used the cathedral as a base during that time.