Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio conducting the baptismsApril 20, 2010
UCAN
A Catholic community established 130 years ago in western Cambodia but destroyed during the civil war and Khmer Rouge rule has been brought back to life.
Twenty-eight villagers were baptized last Easter, marking the re-establishment of a Catholic community in Ta Om village in Banteay Meanchey province.
The Church has for a decade been actively involved in development work in the village, including building a public primary school and embarking on literacy courses and hygiene and sanitation projects.
“Ta Om is a symbol of the Resurrection of God. In the people’s hard and painful experience of war and persecution, God has stood beside them … The God of life blesses those who seek him in this community, reborn from ashes,” said Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang, at the April 4 event.
About 800 people from parishes around the area gathered inside the village’s 130-year-old Neo-Gothic-style church. Although its walls have been repainted, they still bear bullet marks after Khmer Rouge soldiers tried to destroy it in the 1970s.
Twenty adults and eight children were baptized in a Khmer liturgy that included Cambodian classical dances and singing by a youth group. Monsignor Figaredo and Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Bangkok-based apostolic nuncio to Cambodia, led the celebration.
“Live your faith by being witnesses of new life and God’s love,” Archbishop Pennacchio told the new Christians.
According to local Church sources, in 1881 a Catholic community was established in the village of predominantly ethnic Vietnamese fishermen, boat makers and timber merchants.
Later, the Providence Sisters of Portieux opened a primary school and health clinic here.
In the civil war of the 1960s and 1970s, the Vietnamese were driven out of the village.
Former villagers recall the past
Among those at the Easter event were former villagers.
A woman from Battambang said with tears in her eyes, “I am so overjoyed to see the old church still standing. This is where we used to pray. My brother used to be the church bell ringer.”
A young man said, “My father was a catechist here,” while an old man shared: “I was born here. I am eager to go around to see my former friends.”
In a small ceremony that followed the baptisms, local government officials thanked the Catholic Church for its developmental projects in the village.
Archbishop Pennacchio inaugurated a village library, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pope Benedict XVI Education and Pastoral Center, and blessed one of 15 wells that the Church built.
Church development work here was initiated in 2001, after news reached Monsignor Figaredo that Ta Om villagers were willing to welcome Catholic involvement in development.
After several visits to the village and discussions with local leaders, Jesuit Father Heri Bratasudarma, Siem Reap parish priest, started small development projects. These included rebuilding a primary school and starting literacy courses and hygiene and sanitation projects.
Later, the old church building was returned to the Church and some people requested catechism classes.
As Monsignor Figaredo put it: “With the baptism of first Christians after [the community's] obliteration 40 years ago, Ta Om community comes to life again!”
Twenty-eight villagers were baptized last Easter, marking the re-establishment of a Catholic community in Ta Om village in Banteay Meanchey province.
The Church has for a decade been actively involved in development work in the village, including building a public primary school and embarking on literacy courses and hygiene and sanitation projects.
“Ta Om is a symbol of the Resurrection of God. In the people’s hard and painful experience of war and persecution, God has stood beside them … The God of life blesses those who seek him in this community, reborn from ashes,” said Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang, at the April 4 event.
About 800 people from parishes around the area gathered inside the village’s 130-year-old Neo-Gothic-style church. Although its walls have been repainted, they still bear bullet marks after Khmer Rouge soldiers tried to destroy it in the 1970s.
Twenty adults and eight children were baptized in a Khmer liturgy that included Cambodian classical dances and singing by a youth group. Monsignor Figaredo and Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Bangkok-based apostolic nuncio to Cambodia, led the celebration.
“Live your faith by being witnesses of new life and God’s love,” Archbishop Pennacchio told the new Christians.
According to local Church sources, in 1881 a Catholic community was established in the village of predominantly ethnic Vietnamese fishermen, boat makers and timber merchants.
Later, the Providence Sisters of Portieux opened a primary school and health clinic here.
In the civil war of the 1960s and 1970s, the Vietnamese were driven out of the village.
Former villagers recall the past
Among those at the Easter event were former villagers.
A woman from Battambang said with tears in her eyes, “I am so overjoyed to see the old church still standing. This is where we used to pray. My brother used to be the church bell ringer.”
A young man said, “My father was a catechist here,” while an old man shared: “I was born here. I am eager to go around to see my former friends.”
In a small ceremony that followed the baptisms, local government officials thanked the Catholic Church for its developmental projects in the village.
Archbishop Pennacchio inaugurated a village library, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pope Benedict XVI Education and Pastoral Center, and blessed one of 15 wells that the Church built.
Church development work here was initiated in 2001, after news reached Monsignor Figaredo that Ta Om villagers were willing to welcome Catholic involvement in development.
After several visits to the village and discussions with local leaders, Jesuit Father Heri Bratasudarma, Siem Reap parish priest, started small development projects. These included rebuilding a primary school and starting literacy courses and hygiene and sanitation projects.
Later, the old church building was returned to the Church and some people requested catechism classes.
As Monsignor Figaredo put it: “With the baptism of first Christians after [the community's] obliteration 40 years ago, Ta Om community comes to life again!”
48 comments:
thank you for bring god present and wisdom and blessing to cambodia. i think ought to build european magnificient cathedrals in cambodia as a renaissance. i think cathedrals are beautiful like the local temples.
please help praise for cambodia to heal and integrated back into the world's community of religion, economic development, reform, and all that good human stands for. may god bless cambodia and our people.
I'm glad the people have freedom of religion. I heard the built a hospital for the poor in Cambodia and continue to help the poor. That's a good religion. I always ask myself, I'm buddhist, what good things do I see temples do for the people? Not much. I only see monks collect money, get rich, and get marry later.
10:22Pm you fucking head a son of a lier! If you are a real buddhist why you motherfucker just complaine and put your religion dowm?
Why don't you help your religion improve and give service to people just like before when the Franche try to destroy our basic of traditional living and religion?
We let you free to preach in our country respect us and we would respect you, fool!
if you lie my ligtning strike you soon!!!
i don't think any religion is bad. it's the evil individuals who hide behind it and use and abuse it that give religion a bad name. so, if one look beyond the individuals, religion is not bad. well, only time will tell. also, in the past, cambodia had used buddhist monasteries as places for schoold and learning, etc...; nowadays, it's not necessary true anymore as time changed. just because sometime is true or practiced at one time in history, doesn't mean it always true or work again in the future. it's called change. i mean it's good to learn history and appreciate it, however, there are many ways to achieve something nowadays.
Keep the paedophiles and other sex predators out of Cambodia.
May Buddha protect our children from these vicious creatures.
Nation motto"Nation Religion King" was abused just only one it means that Khmer traitor.
10:39pm! sometime you look at history you have to ask why (?) Why it was change and for the bad or for good?
And why other countries and religion keep doing it but they gorged and taught you to stop doing it?
Does the french close their catolic school and hospital?
What would become of buddah if not for teaching and confort the lives of human???????//
10:32 PM,
Most Buddhist monks in Cambodia this day are opportunists and spies of Yuon/CPP and many are pedophiles. Very little percetage that Monks this day are good.
Buddhism in Cambodia is only representing the traditional and culture, but not many practricing it including yourself who cursing and insulting others for speaking up the truth.
I am a Khmer Buddhist by birth and I say what I see.
About the pedophiles, they have been existed in all cultures and religions. They are among Buddhist Monks, Muslim Imams, Jews Rabis, and Priests or Pastors Christianity. Just that the Christianity, people are educated, civilized and more open that is why we see in the NEWS whereas Buddhist Monks are Authoritarians, fucking autocrats using Buddha robe to suppress and to silent the people of Cambodia.
Only about 2 great Buddhist men: Dala Lama and Khmer Monk Maha Ghosanandais are EXCEPTIONAL; the truly Buddhists.
I am glad to see Khmer people are allowed to exrcise their freedom of beliefs and their decisions to choose. It would be a great victory if all Khmers become Christians or become Jews.
All your comments above are right. You express your opinion, idea. I think, all religions are teaching good. I don't hate them. But I do not want to see any others religions take place in Cambodia beside Buddhist.
10:22 PM. Don't look down your own religion. I think, these people when they are poor, they help them, but they earn income, they will cut back by 10 to 15% of their income.
11:57PM ! you flip flop head! you start blaming the religion than you son of a whore blamed the individual than you mother fucker wish Cambodia buddhist to be abandone!
If you motherfucker a buddish I glad you are not buddish anymore you motherfuxcker alier and a snake!
May lightning strike the lier and pretender!
11:57PM ! you flip flop head! you start blaming the religion than you son of a whore blamed the individual than you mother fucker wish Cambodia buddhist to be abandone!
If you motherfucker a buddish I glad you are not buddish anymore you motherfuxcker alier and a snake!
May lightning strike the lier and pretender!
10:22 AM
You must be a good Christ, contrary your behavior, sound you have lost your brain.
I would say, myself I know a lot of people in Europe and all of them are Christian believe or the Head of the Christian religion in their own countries (Spain &UK). All of them are always friendly and respect our believe. They never say something bad about Buddhist religion.
10:22 pm
You are Buddhist, yet you don't know that temples provides all kinds of services to all people. Come on now, you must be one of those morons, that have no clues to what's going on. if you want to convert yourself to a catholic, you might as well don't call yourself a Khmer anymore. To be a real khmer, you need to keep your own belief/religious. Buddhist rules!
It's a O.K if you choose to believe in any other religion, but, please don't put your own religion down.
Koun Khmer
The snitch must be raise by a whore who pretended to be a buddish!
shut up, i don't agree with your comment. khmer can be catholic, but just buddhist; the idea that khmers are only buddhist in religion is so outdated going back in history and tradition and culture, etc...; however, it is ignorant to say that if you are not buddhist, you are not khmer. that is silly. it's called freedom of religion, and people shouldn't be arguing about religion here, there, anywhere, really. just accept people's rights for their beliefs, etc... people can believe in christian if they want to, it's their choice and can still be khmer. i used to hear that if you are catholic, you are viet/youn, that is stupid to say because whoever said that don't even know that catholic religion is european, not viet/youn. anyway, did you know that the philipines is actually asia's largest followers of catholic religion follower in a close second by koreans, than china for its large population. viet/youn catholic is just a little more than khmer catholic. but don't be saying that catholic is viet/youn religion. viet/youn are not the only people or race that embrace catholic, many khmer people embraced catholic or christian religion too, you know! get educated already, and stop promoting viet/youn this or that. i think we should say khmer term more than say viet/youn this or that! who cares about viet/youn. khmer people can be catholic or christian too, you know! stop being a frog in the well and thinking only viet/youn are catholic. not true if you are educated well, really! wake up people, don't be blind by ignorance and bigotry. think khmer for a change, ok!
yes, the philipines has the largest catholic followers in all of asia, follow closing by koreans. good to have religious freedom in cambodia. i think respect each other belief is better for the country because can contribute to the country development, reforms, growth, etc... think about it. think worldly, ok!
Only one motherfucker say bad about other make a useless fight!
May death take him away or let he stay with sickness for causing trouble to religions!!
If you want to be a real Khmer Angkor, keep your own identity. If you don't, you will loose it.
I would be better a king of RAT than rather be a tiger tail.
I want to be Emporer of the 2nd Khmer Empire. The yuons/siems will be my slaves.
i think it is ok to change, although keeping one original identity is desired but not required, you know. please learn to adopt, adapt to new ways to some degree; it's is ok to be different because the entire world is different and changes a lot since the stone age or the dark age, really. i mean, some aspect of traditon, culture and national identity of khmer should be kept the same, however, it is smart and clever too to reform or change to some degree in order to cope with the competitive world out there, you. please learn to be open-minded and adopt, etc... the world need each other for exchange of information, idea, knowledge, learning, etc... please stop being so selfish and evil for a change for our country saw enough destruction and sufferings already. now, it's time to look around us for better ways, etc... there were a lot of misconceptions in cambodia; we can correct this by embracing new ways and old ways together as in fusion to be one. why not? god bless cambodia and all khmer people and citizens.
the important aspect of cambodia to to promote our beautiful khmer language and architecture and custom culture and so for; traditional is different, it comes and goes, and it is ok to modify or reform it a bit, just a bit to fit our needs because not all tradition is good or effective or useful anymore like it once was, really. it's ok to reform and modify to adjust to modern, competitive world out there, really.
I'm 10:20. Wow amazing how you Buddhist khmer folks curse and look down on others, you are all such good Khmer. Seem like you are full of anger, please calm down ok, you have no peace in you I see. Like I said I'm Buddhist. I pray to my dead father for help, not Jesus. It's just my opinion to say what I see in srok khmer. The churches are helping the poor with education, food, shelter. I see monks not allowing the poor to stay in the temple as it use to be in the old time. Buddha please bless my khmer online folks that are full of anger.
I meant 10:22
I thought Buddha gave up family, love and money. Why do monks make money when they do ceremonies for the people? Shouldn't the money go to the temple, and in turn the temple do goods for the people? That's what I thought when I was a kid. When I grew up I keep hearing this or that monks make money, buy new car, quit monkhood, then get married. I was shocked. I've seen them with my own eyes. I know there are good and bad monks. But I don't look down on the religion, just the bad monks. 10:22 again.
3:32AM!to pray to you death father is not buddish, fool, is Chinese or the Vietnamese!!
State your opinion clearly! don't be a fool! And I am not monk! and not all monk are bad! and monk make out of man just like Catolic prist and protestant paster! And bad people alway try to abuse of those title!
If you mean good may goodness help you if you mean bad my lightning strike you!
Only the true ignorant that uses the foul language. Christians would seldomly use foul language, and that is the power of wisdom they get blessed by their true God, the Almighty God.
Ignorant will continue to bow low to the lowly educated individuals who would choose to be in monkhood to avoid working. They are not there to follow the Buddha footsteps but to collect easy money.
These are ignorant buddhists with bad attitude and cruel spirits. They dare to curse people to their mothers while most christians are respectful, considerate and loving with kind heart.
Shame on you stupid kids who called yourselves buddhists. There are good but few buddhists out there with good moral. You're apparently not among these few.
Be respectful.
KP
4:05aM MOTHER FUCKER EVER HEAR THE NEWS WHAT POP APOLOGISE FOR RAPING PRIST! EVER HEARD OF HITLER? MAY LIGTNING STRIKE YOU SOON!!!
3:57 AM
Any religious is good and bad. Why you just pointed out about Buddhist monks. Have you seen others religious bad too? like catholic priest corrupt and sexual abuse thousands of kids in world. Khmer christian pastor whom I know, use money for own political gain in Cambodia. Is that wrong or right?
These priests are there to exploit the innocences and the needies for their own benefits. They feed Khmer people food so that they can be convert to Christianity. I guess the phrase in order to get to a person's heart one has to go through the stomach, Something like that.
I don't feel too comfortable raising my two hands and pray to a buddish monk, not knowing who he was or what did he did before he become a monk. Just like the recent article where the monk raped a girl at his temple where she went there only a week after delivering her 2nd baby. And alot of older Khmer Monk in Cambodia, and this is a fact. Alot of them became a Monk because back int the 70's they were former Khmer Rouge and had slaughtered alot of people and lots of blood on their hand. That why I can't bring myself to raise my two hand and pray to these Monks giving the fact they had done unforgivable acts. And in Buddhism Sins is not forgiven. I rather choose to pry to my GOD and not a questional monk who is just like you and I who looking at people from head to toe and criticizing people.
Just look how mad this ignorant buddhist is. He continues to curse but has no idea who he is cursing. This stupid kid is a monkey in human form. Hello monkey.
This is KP speaking.
I am feelling sadily to hear Dear 10.22pm, 11:57pm comments regarding to religion subject, this particular human specis has fully of COCONUT HUSK in the brain. These group of people substances Kowtowing.
They are thinking only their stomach and their lives not the Khmer's national ID, it's comparable to GARD DOG's species.
Do you know how many of the Priests are PEDOPHIL? Don't you know how many Khmer men have been lost their wives to the Christan's priests in USA ? do you know how many Child molesters priest got promotion to higher rank by the PAPE or Church Priesthoot out of reach of the law? Do you know How many people have been killed by the priest?, many many ways(direct or indirectly) Throughout 15, 16,17,18,19 and 20 centuries?, the worst of all is they have had been bring the deadly virus to kill the aboriginal inocent people such a chicken pox viruses.
The priest are the SPIEs Thing Twice young man!(the brain I mean), you are a potantially sharp tool for them!. Do yo know In Siamreap City one of united Church when you drive west toward POIPET border from Siamreap City, that Church Just on the left hand side, some of young poor Khmer homo man is living quietly inside and the priests all over the wolrd taking turn travelling to that Churh then perform SEX with these youn men because they need to suvive.
I have so many thing to tell you but I know you are not ready to hear that because you're an human's paracite mental ilness.
Taking care of yoyr ass dear!
Good luck with new OWNER!!!!
Those who love to curse and claimed to be Buddhists are liar. They are Evils not Buddhists.
If I am a Khmer leader I will allow all Khmers to choose their own religions, and each religion must pay taxes to keep the country runs. More Buddhist Temple more taxes, more Churches more taxes, and so forth.
To the person who said Buddhism is Khmer religion is wrong, Khmers are Hindu from the start. King Cheyvaraman 7 changed to Buddhist after he was scared of Karma he created slaughting too many his victims; and furtheremore he was scared of Kublai Khan's army invaded the empire. After he died Kublai Khan wiped out Khmer econony then Khmers became so corrupted, collapsed.
Christian is the only true religion, whoever follow its commandment will live forever and ever. The core subject mainly, "love one another as I have loved you and treat others like you want to be treated"..."do the right thing for the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be terminated". However, people can steal be saved if you are doing the right thing that is zero tolerant to any sort of wicked acts. Further more just be honest and trustworthy. Life is all about living, learning, laughing and loving as well as forgiving those who wrong you so that you can more on for better outcome. Therefore the answer is "LOVE FOR ALL" doesn't matter which religion you are in. By doing this we are able to eliminate hatred or break the barrier between you and I but "us" we are one and we are the "human being" no more or less, we all are existed for a purpose! simple as that!!!
wisdom
wat are these stupid ppl fighting for their fucking gods! u think u can fuck yr gods one day, huh? humans creat gods, not otherwise. And those who created gods could do so only bcoz there are alw stupid ppl like u on earth that they can fool on to fight for them. Dn't u have brain to think of what is right or wrong at all? Dn't yr fucking gods fly their ass to help ppl who are suffering all over the world coz of these fucking religions and hatred? Or don't they have just little sympathy as a normal man do? Wana fuck yr gods' ass.
To be sure Cambodian Buddhism played an integral part in preserving Khmer culture and language. For example, Vietnamese switched to Romanized writing system from Chinese characters, while Khmer still retains its original scripts during French colonization. We have the Buddhist Wats all over the country to thank for this heritage.
However, just like any religious institution, Buddhism has its flaws just like churhes or mosque institutions. The reason is religious institutions, Catholic, Prostestant, or Buddhist temples can NOT reverse human depravity. Human being has a corrupt nature we come to know as sin. Sin play itself out in different ways in a person's behavior. Some curse others in blog site, some kill, genocide, some steal/cheat etc. These behaviors are a byproduct of sin.
Religious institutions, churches (Catholic or Protestant), or Buddhist wats can only hope to positively affect man's beviour but can NOT remove sin. That's why priests/pastors and monks alike can commit sexual crimes, swindle people's money.
The only way sin is dealt with appropriately is through a person named Jesus Christ. He paid the penalty for sin through His blood.
You can find out more in the book called the Bible.
Many Cambodians came out of the Khmer Rouge period perplexed, and bewildered by the killings. Buddhism is part of Khmer for centuries, then why fellow Khmer Buddhists could commit such atrocities, they wondered. Many people knew Buddhism is not the answer. Many found peace in Jesus Christ after horrorible life under KR.
Cambodian followers of Jesus Christ are not traitors to Khmers culture. On the contrary, many oversea Cambodian Christian came back to help with the capacity they are able. I pesonally know of churches helping with orphanage in Cambodia. Those help will never make it to KI-Media news articles.
I want to ask those who called Cambodian Christian traitors. What have you don't to help fellow Khmers in Cambodia, whether with your time or money. What have you done as an individual to lift your finger to help?
yes only christianity is the true religion. i love jesus and i wana fuck his ass. but i think i'm fine with buddha too. actually i can fuck any god's ass. after fucking their ass, we would achieve eternity, enlightment, and immortality.
god fucker, you're my total enemy man.
cambodia needs a change, but not from this fucking relegion to that fucking bullshit. The economy can only get better if they stop sucking their own god's ass and fighting with each other.
If you do some research in the history of Christianity you will find out that the Roman Catholic and the Pope had arrested and put many Christians to death by burning them alive.
This power will be coming again to persecute the true believers of God. But God will protect His followers and destroy this power at the end of time.
The true Christians are those who fit to the Bible as Revelation 14:12 says:
"This calls for endurance on the part of God's people, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to Jesus".
That means to obey or to keep God's commandments and believe in Jesus not the Pope or the priests.
what is of this guy to say this jesus thing can clear human sin? I wonder if he has fucked jesus before. Also wonder if this jesus, allah, shiva, or even buddha can speak khmer?
wat are u to say jesus sucks up yr sins coz bible says so? don't u know how to analyse thing? don't u believe me if i say i've fucked jesus before coz i've done so?
These churches and christian ppl coming to help the poor in cambodia? Do they do just that? To get 2 hr english lessons, u need to come pray their jesus at least twice a wk even u don't fuck jesus.
and u mentioned khmer buddhists could commit such atrocities (genocide) without even knowing that the khmer rough abolished the fucking religion. U think the christians or islamics never make wars and never kill? Fuck it. don't u think you have created a hatred and war by saying that?
U religious ppl know nothing but praise yr god and make wars with others. If there were no fucking religions, no one would fight here at the first place.
And i'm here to fight against all so that one day i can fuck those gods.
6:58pm and 7:26pm
I see you are full of hatred.
Son, did your mother ever taught you good vocabularies, beside f** words?
Did mama and daddy not around to help you, giving nurturing home?
If the answer is no, I'm so sorry for you. Many Cambodian families in the US are disfunctional. Seem like you are a byproduct of that!
Truly, truly sorry and sad
6:58pm and 7:26pm,
Is it possible your comments are demonically influenced?
6:58pm,
Seems like you went to a trashy public school evidence by the trash you put on this blog.
It is not too late to find a good school that provide decent education. Unless of course you are satisfied with trash language to represent yourself all your life.
Dear 3:48pm yes I see what you have said, I know that as well, but don't you thing about domination tricky of the Christian ?, yes they apply very goog at auditting(preaching) please wisely thinking what behind the wall.
Yes LOVE and Touch one another!,the fondamental is doing bad first then asking for appology after, this is not good, ofcourse this bad thing committed by Chrstian is variety such as:
1- dominating your mind and family
2- Molesting your children possible steal your vife or dauther.
3- Leading to SPIE by showing a good faith, materials then implement their law or to Kill if they have to, why because this belive the Christ will taks all the sins from them(this is a very dangeruos technician).
4- The higher ranking Priest always promoting and provide protection the molester priests to higher rank in order to stay out reach the state law.
5- They will(The priests) grab you boy into a quiet room force him to have sex with him, why because the priest know well the state law, many of Cambodian family, their wives, sons, daughter stealling by the Christian priests then breaking up the families.
Looking on amerindians children the Christan first colonization they killed them by(Chicken pox virus) then kitnap their children abious them put in displinary school and the worst of all was to perfome sex every Friday everning.There are many tricks they're using to dominate and to oppress the inocent peple this ways, the brains like you are, you think only the stomach and your well fair that's find but do not bring this virus into Khmer land.
Protect you family's asses hole my dear!! if you choose to embrace!! Good lock!!
agree to disagree, everyone have a choice to choose. peace to all!
Oh yr mum and dad or prob'ly yr fucking god teach you well to say this religion or that religious group is bad and yours good. What are u to say this or that fucking religion is true.
Ain't u shamed to say such a nice phrase without a fucking word but tap the ppl's head to make wars?
are u really that well educated in that decent sch or holistically influenced to say such a thing and create such a hatred? If so, i'd choose the other path.
I'm not a mr nice guy fucking gods and make wars with fellow humans.
btw i don't need the fucking gods to tell me i shd do this or that. I'm a simple human who have heart and brain to feel, think and judge things by myself. And if i do good, i don't do it coz i'm afraid of hell or wana go to fuck the gods in heaven.
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