The Catholic Church, though a minority in predominantly Buddhist Cambodia, has played a vital role in the country’s healing and reconciliation, according to the newly appointed coadjutor apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh.
Bishop-elect Pierre Suon Hangly said that Catholics have provided psychological and spiritual support to survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime.
“The Church has brought Jesus' message of love, forgiveness, and brotherhood. Prayer and meditation ease the heart. We do not forget the suffering, but we try to forgive those who have hurt us,” he said in a testimony shared with AsiaNews.
The radical Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and was responsible for the deaths of up to three million people.
The bishop-elect emphasized that the Cambodian Church continues to remember those who died and suffered during that dark period, although doing so is becoming increasingly difficult.
“This memory is fading today because the elderly are fewer in number, and young people are not very interested in that past. Many Khmers are focused on daily survival: they are in debt, looking for work abroad, or relocating to other cities,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to the late Pope Francis, whose legacy continues to inspire the Cambodian Church through his promotion of synodality, peacebuilding, interreligious dialogue, and environmental justice.
“I hope Pope Leo XIV will continue the work of his predecessor and guide our Church in today’s context,” he added.
Catholics comprise only about 1% of Cambodia’s population of 18 million. Among them, roughly 30% are native Cambodians, while the remaining 70% are of Vietnamese descent.
The Catholic Church in Cambodia is organized into three ecclesiastical jurisdictions: the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang, and the Apostolic Prefecture of Kompong Cham.
Bishop-elect Hangly is the first local pastor to be elevated to the episcopate since Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas of Phnom Penh, who was martyred in April 1977 during the Khmer Rouge persecution.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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