The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ, made a pastoral visit to Bangladesh.
Cardinal Czerny visited the refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar – Ukhia Rohingya Camp, along with the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Kevin Randall and Fr. Liton Hubert Gomes, Executive Secretary for the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh. The delegation from DPIHD included Fr. Joseph Savarimuthu and Francesca Donà.
At the beginning of the visit, the Dicastery delegation was welcomed by the entire staff of Caritas Bangladesh, led by Archbishop Lawrence Subrata Howlader CSC of Chattogram. Then, together they visited a part of Cox’s Bazar where Caritas is very involved in the pastoral activity serving women and children, families, and many other vulnerable individuals.
Among the activities carried out in the camp, Caritas Bangladesh especially offers programs for health, human rights, women rights and empowerment, formal academic education, after-school opportunities, training in the tailoring trade, and ecological conversion.
In the camp, Cardinal Czerny met with some children and their teachers, visited a family, and looked in on a workshop. He also participated in a moment of interreligious prayer.
Cox’s Bazar is one of the largest refugee camps in the world, with more than 1,100,00 persons, who are Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Bangladesh began receiving Rohingya refugees in the 1970’s, but the flow has increased exponentially since 2017 to date, with over a million people, 50% of whom are minors.
From the camp, the Prefect of DPIHD went to Dhaka to continue his pastoral visits, including a meeting with the Bishops of Bangladesh and the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace which is celebrating 50 years of ministry this year. Cardinal Czerny took part in one of their days of celebration.
Another meaningful moment was shared at the Peter Bhaban Credit Union Center in Moradnagur, Modonpur, Narayanganj, which provides pastoral care to migrant Christian indigenous families and offers them training courses. While at the Center, the Prefect celebrated a Mass for the Jubilee of Migrants, with about 600 people in attendance.
At St. Mary’s Cathedral in Dhaka, Cardinal Czerny celebrated the Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints. The next day, he participated in the Eucharistic celebration along with 5,000 people at Bangladesh’s largest church, Holy Rosary Church, followed by the final procession to the nearby cemetery.
Finally, Cardinal Czerny met with a few civil authorities, including the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Syed Refaat Ahmed.
