Visiting Burma archbishop tries Sinulog dance

CEBU CITY—The Burmese high churchman sent by Pope Francis to represent him to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) have shown Cebuanos that he has the moves.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Rangoon, Burma, gave in to the requests of the priests from Don Bosco Youth Center in Barangay Pasil to try dancing the Sinulog, a traditional dance to venerate  Holy Child Jesus whose feast day is celebrated here every third week of the January.

Holding the image of the Sto. Niño, Cardinal Bo did the basic Sinulog dance moves of two steps forward and one step backward with the lead dancer and the rest of the contingent of Pasil Elementary School.

After 20 seconds, he passed the image to the other priests while the crowd broke into applause.

Barangay Pasil is one of the urban poor villages of Cebu City that is plagued with problems of illegal drugs and other crimes.

But the residents gave Cardinal Bo a warm welcome while he was walking to the Don Bosco Youth Center, which was about 300 meters from the main road, for a scheduled visit.

Bo is a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, one of the congregations in the Catholic Church.

Residents lined up in the street and waved flaglets of white and yellow colors—the colors of the Vatican—as the Papal legate passed by.

Some residents stayed on the second floor of their houses to pour white and yellow petals of the Chrysanthemum on Cardinal Bo.

Others passed through his security escorts to either shake or kiss his hand.

And the Cardinal returned the warm reception with a wide smile.

During his speech, Bo said he was happy to visit the Don Bosco Youth Center, which he described “the pride of our Salesian brothers.”

“It is so encouraging to hear and see that our Salesian values alive and vibrant on this part of the planet, on this area supposed to be the poorest of the poor,” he said.

Two youths from the center gave their testimonies to Cardinal Bo.

One was Korina Tabay, 17, who said that she and the rest of their neighbors felt blessed that Bo chose to visit their barangay.

“We ask you to pray for us, for peace and unity for our families. For us in Pasil, life is hard for some of us (are) bound by the influence of drugs. Others live with broken families. Most of us live in poverty,” she said.

She added that they were inspired by the homily of Cardinal Bo during the opening Mass at the Plaza Independencia last Sunday where the Papal legate urged them to declare “world war III” against poverty.

But Cardinal Bo urged the crowd of more than 100 comprising mostly of teenagers and children, not to blame their situation but instead work hard.

“You can become priests, sisters, brothers, bishops. You can become the prime minister, president, doctors, engineers. Never blame your situation that because I’m poor, I can’t do anything. Don’t blame yourself, don’t blame your parents, don’t blame your situation,” he said.

“You must get up and work hard to become great for others. If you fall, all of us in one way or another we fall. But the ugly thing is some us fall and never get up. Great people fell also but they always get up,” he added. RC