Nuncio urges Catholics in Cambodia to study the Bible to nourish their faith in God
Newsroom (27/05/2023 12:21, Gaudium Press) Catholicism in Cambodia dates back to the 16th century thanks to European Catholic missionaries. During the Khmer Rouge communist regime (1975-1979), there was a terrible religious persecution in which all local bishops, clerics and most lay Catholics were tortured and killed; foreign missionaries were expelled and churches destroyed.
The church was reborn after the return of missionaries in the 1990s. Today, the Cambodian church has 20,000 Catholics. Over the years, the local church has grown to include 10 native priests and 10 nuns.
Cambodia and the Vatican re-established formal diplomatic relations in 1994.
Council of the Apostolic Nuncio
Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells, 60, as apostolic nuncio to Thailand and Cambodia and apostolic delegate to Laos on February 8 this year. Born in the diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Archbishop Wells was ordained priest in 1991 and joined the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1999. He studied theology and canon law in Rome.
He has served in the Apostolic Nunciature of Nigeria as well as in the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State.
On his first visit to Cambodia on 21 May, Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells presided at the Eucharist at St Joseph’s Church in the capital, Phnom Penh.
According to Catholic Cambodia news website, in his homily, the nuncio stressed that studying the Bible is indispensable to becoming a good apostle of Jesus. “Go ahead and form a group of apostles.”
He reminded members of Cambodia’s small Catholic Church that they are called to be good disciples by incarnating three virtues – respect, sincerity and trust.
“For Christians, it is important to study the Bible, know the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and pass it on to others,” he said, because the Word can “feed and nourish the soul.”
He also insisted that it is essential to get an education to become a good disciple. So what we need to do is get an education to connect with Jesus, to be apostles of Jesus, to establish a genuine relationship to guide and let others be apostles in the way we live,” he added.
He stressed that Christians are called to evangelise, but not to force a conversion. “As Christians, especially parents, we must encourage young people to go to church and we must continue to share gifts that are special treasures, such as faith,” Bishop Wells added.
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