Pope in Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi's speech

Pope Francis on Tuesday is spending his first full day in Myanmar where he traveled to the country's capital to meet with the country’s de facto civilian leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 

After meeting with her privately, she pronounced the official welcome speech at the Myanmar International Convention Center where the Pope met with authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps. 

In her address to the Pope, Suu Kyi quoted from the Sermon on the Mount saying it presents a challenge for political and religious leaders and she mentioned that “of the many challenges that our government has been facing, the situation in the Rakhine has most strongly captured the attention of the world”.   

She also said that the aim of the Myanmar Government is ”to bring out the beauty of our diversity and to make it our strength, by protecting rights, fostering tolerance, ensuring security for all”.

Please find below the full text of Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech to Pope Francis:

Holy Father Pope Francis,

Distinguished Guests,

        It is a great joy and a great honour for me to welcome you to this gathering that reaffirms our faith in the power and possibility of peace and loving kindness. Let me begin by thanking His Holiness for being with us today. 'Grazie per essere arrivato qui da noi'.

        Your Holiness, you bring us strength and hope in your understanding of our need, our longing, for peace, national reconciliation and social harmony. Our national anthem, adopted at the time of our independence, begins with the words: “Never swerving from just freedom,” reflecting the strongly held conviction of the founding fathers of our nation that true freedom cannot survive without justice. These words resonate with us today, just as they did with those who fought for independence that our people might be able to realize their full potential. It is incumbent on us to continue the task of building a nation founded on laws and institutions that will guarantee each and everyone in our land justice, freedom and security. Thus, the words of Your Holiness that the prophets of old saw justice as the basis of all true and lasting peace “resonates with us, and serves as a reminder that in our quest for peace we must be guided by the wisdom and aspirations of our fathers.

        Your Holiness, the challenges that Myanmar faces are many, and each challenge calls for strength, patience and courage. Our nation is a rich tapestry of different peoples, languages and religions, woven on a backdrop of vast natural potential. It is the aim of our Government to bring out the beauty of our diversity and to make it our strength, by protecting rights, fostering tolerance, ensuring security for all. Our most cherished endeavor is to carry forward the peace process based on the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement that was initiated by the previous Government. The road to peace is not always smooth but it is the only way that will lead our people to their dream of a just and prosperous land that will be their refuge, their pride, their joy. The quest for peace has to be reinforced by the attainment of sustainable development, that the future of coming generations might be assured.

        Of the many challenges that our government has been facing, the situation in the Rakhine has most strongly captured the attention of the world. As we address long standing issues, social, economic and political, that have eroded trust and understanding, harmony and cooperation, between different communities in Rakhine, the support of our people and of good friends who only wish to see us succeed in our endeavours, has been invaluable. Your Holiness, the gifts of compassion and encouragement that you bring to us will be treasured and we take to heart your words in the message of the celebration of the fiftieth World Day of Peace on 1st January 2017:

        “Jesus himself offers a “manual” for this strategy of peacemaking in the Sermon on the Mount. The eight Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-10) provide a portrait of the person we could describe as blessed, good and authentic. Blessed are the meek, Jesus tells us, the merciful and the peacemakers, those who are pure in heart, and those who hunger and thirst for justice.

        This is also a programme and a challenge for political and religious leaders, the heads of international institutions, and business and media executives: to apply the Beatitudes in the exercise of their respective responsibilities. It is a challenge to build up society, communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers. It is to show mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment, or seek to win at any cost.”

        Your Holiness, we are proud and happy that you have come to our country a mere six months after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Myanmar. This is not only the opening of a new era of close relations, it also constitutes a revival of old ties that I, and others of my generation, remember with affection and appreciation. I began my education at the St. Francis Convent in Rangoon which makes me fancy that I am entitled to special blessings from your Holiness. But all the blessings you confer will be shared by all of us that we may be able to spread goodwill and joy throughout our land.

        Your Holiness, each age in the life of a nation brings its own responsibilities just as it has to bear the legacies of the past. We today who have been given the opportunity to effect changes that could open new vistas of progress for our nation, will strive to discharge our duties with probity and humility. We wish to leave to the future a land that has been nurtured with care and respect, a healthy land, a beautiful land. We wish to leave to the future a people united and at peace, secure in their capacity to grow and prosper in a changing world; a compassionate and generous people, always ready to hold out a helping hand to those in need; a people strong in skills and whole in spirit.

        Your Holiness, the children of your Church in this country are also the children of Myanmar, loved and cherished. We thank them, as we thank you, for praying for our nation and all the peoples of the world. The road ahead is long but we will walk it with confidence, trusting in the power of peace, love and joy.

Your Holiness,

        'Continuiamo a camminare insieme con fiducia'.

        I thank you all.