Two years of civil war, which has gradually intensified, have shaped the face and pastoral approach of priests, consecrated persons, catechists and pastoral workers in many dioceses of Myanmar, especially in the areas most affected by the conflict between the army and the People’s Defense Forces rebel groups, which have joined forces with the ethnic militias that have traditionally been active in Myanmar’s border areas. The social situation was characterized by the presence of massive flows of internally displaced persons: people forced to leave their homes to find refuge in the forests, far from violence, where they began to struggle to support themselves; or families seeking refuge in makeshift refugee camps – set up as best they can, sometimes by Catholic parishes. In order – in the words of Pope Francis – to “smell like sheep”, to be close to people and to share with them the needs and sufferings of daily life, priests, religious and catechists also temporarily leave their churches (for long periods or sometimes permanently) to go to places where the displaced people live under precarious conditions in barracks, huts or tents. A striking example is the Diocese of Loikaw, whose territory extends over the state of Kayah (eastern Myanmar), where the civil war is ongoing. Here even Bishop Celso Ba Shwe was expelled from the cathedral, which was first attacked and then occupied by the Burmese army, which made it their base camp. As confirmed to Fides, the Bishop lived a “Christmas among refugees”, traveling to the different areas and parishes of the diocese, celebrating the sacraments, visiting refugee camps, blessing and consoling families tormented by war and misery. “The Lord has given me a period of forced travel,” says the Bishop. “Despite the pain of having to leave the cathedral, all the goods and documents of our local Church – we do not know what we will find when all this is over – I welcome this grace with an open heart. The Lord allows me to meet so many people, to be closer to people than ever before, to listen and to comfort.”