Thai Church readies for Bangkok relief effort

(May 21, 2010) Catholic church leaders in Thailand have called on their faithful to join relief work in the capital, Bangkok after the army stormed the main red-shirt protest centre on Wednesday. Despite the surrender of key leaders of the anti-government movement, riots and fires continued in many parts of the city throughout the afternoon, as the government ordered a curfew. The red-shirt protesters, who say the government is illegitimate, have occupied large areas of central Bangkok for more than two months demanding that parliament be dissolved and new elections called. Bishop Phibul Visitnonthachai of Nakhon Sawan told UCA News he wants Catholics to be involved in blood-donation drives and visit wounded people, but any action will be seriously hindered by the security situation. The bishop who heads the Thai bishops’ commission for law and economy had plans to call Catholics for a mass prayer rally in the capital on Sunday, but Bishop Phibul says this may now be impossible. The Church leaders also asked the faithful to pray the rosary for the dead and for the country every day for the rest of the year. They appealed to all sides to stop violence and cooperate to peacefully solve the political problems through dialogue in love and forgiveness.