Burma

BURMA. - I. GEOGRAPHY. - In English Burma; a region of southern Asia (northwestern Indochina) comprising almost the entire basin of the Irrawaddy and the middle and lower part of that of the Salween, plus a long strip of territory (Tenasserim) that extends as far as the Malay Peninsula (605,000 sq km). A predominantly mountainous country, covered with splendid forests rich in precious timbers and especially in teak, which then opens out to the south into broad valleys. The population consists for three-quarters of Burmese (of Sino-Tibetan stock), devoted above all to agriculture, among whose products (cotton, millet, sesame, tobacco, tea) rice predominates, of which Burma is one of the world's largest exporters. More important than livestock raising is fishing; among mineral resources (argentiferous lead, copper, zinc, tungsten, precious stones) the extraction of petroleum has assumed notable importance.

Burma, at first united with India, was separated from it in April 1937, to form a British colony, divided into Lower and Upper Burma; the latter included certain protected small states (Shan and Karenni). By the Treaty of London of 17 October 1947, Burma was recognized as having the right to independence. The capital, Rangoon, on the Irrawaddy delta, is a large center (500,000 inhabitants) and the country's major port. In Upper Burma is Mandalay (150,000 inhabitants).

Of today's 17 million inhabitants, the vast majority profess Buddhism, slightly less than a million, in the interior of the country, animist cults, and over half a million Islam. Catholics number about 150,000.

Giuseppe Caraci

II. EVANGELIZATION OF BURMA

The evangelization of B. before the division of 1866 into three vicariates can be divided into five periods. The 1st, which runs from about 1555 to 1721, is the period of occasional evangelization, limited to the large centers and directed mainly at European colonists and the Portuguese militias. It was carried on by secular and regular priests (Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits), for the most part Portuguese. On various occasions (Capuchins in 1648, missionaries of Paris in 1704) the S. Congregation of Propaganda sought to ensure that a true mission was established. It succeeded only in the 2nd period (1721-1830), with the Barnabites and almost by chance, that is, as an appendage to the failed legation of Carlambrogio Mezzabarba in China, who from Canton sent, with the powers (without the title) of apostolic vicar of Ava, Pegu and Martaban, Fr. Sigismondo Calchi, a Barnabite, together with a secular priest, don Giuseppe Vittoni (1721). Harassed by the padroado missionaries (v. PADROADO) but well regarded by the people and by the king of Ava, who granted them freedom of propaganda, the mission of the Barnabites began under good auspices. But, despite their zeal and intelligent labors, the mission suffered one after another a whole series of most grievous misfortunes. In 1741 and in 1746, during the internal struggles between Burmese and Peguans, the first two apostolic vicars, Msgr. Pio Gallizia and Paolo M. Nerini, died killed. There followed a brief interlude of relative calm, under the apostolic vicar G. M. Percoto (d. 1776), but shortly thereafter the revolutions, civil wars and persecutions resumed, culminating in the Anglo-Burmese war of the first quarter of the 19th century. The last apostolic vicar who was able to work was G. M. Mantegazza (d. 1794). Corbenonis, elected as his successor, died before receiving the appointment, and L. Grondona could not be consecrated bishop. The last Barnabite missionaries were Fr. G. d'Amato and Fr. Vincenzo Sangermano. In 1830 the Barnabite Congregation, finding itself unable to continue maintaining the Burmese mission, was forced to renounce it. To it is due the first serious and sustained attempt at the evangelization of the Burmese and of the Karen tribes and the first indigenous linguistic literature.

They were succeeded in the 3rd period (1830-39) by the Piarists, with the apostolic vicar Federico Cao and a few priests or religious scraped together as best they could, among whom don Tarolli of Trent stands out. Propaganda then entrusted the mission to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary of Turin (4th period: 1839-1856), who worked with zeal under their two apostolic vicars Cerretti (1842-47) and Balma (1848-56). But their work was very soon destroyed and the fathers imprisoned in the aftermath of the second Anglo-Burmese war of 1851-52. Their last missionary was Fr. Abbona. The mission (5th period: from 1856 onward) then passed to the Society of Paris, with the first apostolic vicar Bigandeh, who, favored by the regime of freedom established by England and by the peace that followed the occupation, was able, after a study journey through the region, to begin carrying out his program of apostolate (especially in the school sector) with such success that, 10 years later, he was able to propose to the S. Congregation of Propaganda the division of the entire territory of the single mission into 3 vicariates (1866), which were precisely those of northern, eastern, central and south-western B., all entrusted to the same Society of Paris and then definitively reorganized in 1870 with the cession of the eastern vicariate to the seminary of the Foreign Missions of Milan. From then on the separate life of the individual circumscriptions began (v. the relevant entries). At present in B. there are the following missions: 3 apostolic prefectures: Akyab (v.), Bhamo (v.) and Kengtung (v.) and 3 apostolic vicariates: southern B. (v.), Mandalay (v.) and Toungoo (v.) with a total overall of almost 150,000 Catholics. The missions of B. depend, as regards organization, on the Apostolic Internunciature of India, with its seat at New Delhi.

The Protestant missions are numerous and active in B. The first to enter were, in 1808, the English Baptists, who came there from Bengal, and they were followed (1815) by the American ones, who began the mission of Rangoon and soon gained the upper hand over the English. They penetrated first among the Karen tribes of lower B., then pushed ever farther north. These missions had great development after the second Anglo-Burmese war and the annexation of lower B. to the English empire. In 1859 the S. P. G. (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts) established themselves there, dependent on the Anglican Church, and they have created a bishopric in Rangoon. The Baptists have a little less than 100,000 Christians, the S. P. G. a little more than 10,000. Then came the American Episcopal Methodists (1879), the English Wesleyans (1885), the Salvation Army (1915), the Adventists (1919) and the Plymouth Brethren (1920). The total of Protestant Christians in B. is put at 120,000.

Giovanni B. Tragella