|
VISION
AND MISSION
“Yahweh
has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to bind up hearts thatare broken,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, to proclaim the year of the favor from Yahweh.” (Is 61, 1-2)
The
mission of Jesus quoted above is also the mission of the diocese of Battambang,
a region destroyed by civil war for over 30 years.
The
priority of the diocese is to restore life and to become witnesses that the
force of love is stronger than the force of hatred and death. We do this by:
 •
Share the faith and love of Jesus by serving the people
The traditional and official religion of Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism. The
country is full of pagodas and temples which help its people to be aware of
their Buddhist beliefs and traditions. The Catholic church deeply respects these
traditions and does not aim to change them. The Church shares the faith that
Jesus taught with his life and death. It aims to be part of the country's
efforts to bring the values which were lost during the civil war. We do not have
any other means than to respond to the deep needs of the people through a
merciful heart that brings justice to the poor. It does not only mean social
work or development activities, but something deeper: it is to respond with
responsibility, as did Jesus of Nazareth, to the liberating power of the Spirit
in our lives.
• Deepen
and strengthen the faith of the Catholic communities, with special attention to
the children and
 youth
By
the time South Vietnamese forces ousted Pol Pot in January 1979, nearly 2
million Cambodians had been killed or had died of starvation. Along with many
parts of Cambodian society, the Church saw its institutions reduced to ashes.
Today the Church is recovering from these ashes with enormous liveliness. The
faith never died, although it could not be manifested freely in public. The
church is now ready to strengthen and deepen the faith of Christian men and
women who seek to live in Cambodian society proclaiming the faith of Jesus, with
a mission of service to this broken society. “In this attempt to strengthen the
faith, the formation of the children and youth becomes a priority. The lack of
strong institutions and references here in Cambodia has made it very difficult
for the youth, who find themselves lost and with a lack of ideals. The family
sometimes is broken due to war or years of isolation, so the role of the
parishes as a credible institution capable of offering life-giving experiences
is vital”, explains Mgr. Figaredo. Catholic communities are not isolated within
Cambodian society. It is very important to enable the Catholic community to be
present and to speak within society.
• Work
for reconciliation and justice
 The
diocese tries to promote justice that will enable the people of Cambodia to be
reconciled with themselves and with God. One issue that stirs contradictory
emotions is that of bringing the perpetrators of the Pol Pot genocide to justice.
But some think that a tribunal will not make the difference. “It has become so
politicized and so focused on money that it has distracted attention from
today's problems. The kind of justice we need is for people to have food,
education, affordable health care and access to land”, explains Mgr. Figaredo.
Another challenging issue is the integration of the Vietnamese communities in
Cambodian society. Most of these communities have lived in the Tonle Sap for
generations.
To this end, collaboration with the civil society and other faiths is essential.
Serving the poor according to their needs, together with others is the
contribution that the Christian faith is able to offer to the task of building
reconciliation and justice in Cambodia.
•
Promote the Cambodian art and culture
Cambodia is very rich in art, traditions and culture. Its dance, music,
architecture and poetry are part of the heritage and historic identity of all
Cambodians. Pol Pot declared 1975 to be the “year zero”: Cambodia had to begin
from scratch at all levels. This included agriculture, education, and of course
the traditional culture of Cambodia.
The Church
aims to integrate the Khmer culture into church liturgy and into other
expressions of the faith. The work of inculturation of the faith is not simply
to give the liturgy a Cambodian disguise, but must be something much deeper and
creative. It must be the expression of the people of Cambodia, in their own way
and manner, of their experience of God.
 •
Promote and facilitate inter-religious cooperation and dialogue
The church in Battambang is actively open to collaboration with others. It
is vital that the church encourages social dialogue at all levels in Cambodia.
Khmer society, punished by authoritarianism and regulations that were
meaningless, now naturally and urgently seeks spaces for dialogue, understanding
and acceptance of diversity. These spaces are open not just in formal religious
settings, but they must have an impact in the daily lives of the people, so
cooperation in the social field is a priority.
•
Service and accompaniment to the poor
The program of the church which refer to the service and accompaniment to
the poor are explained on detail in the
“Program of the Diocese”
| 
