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Cambodian Catholics, Buddhists honor ancestors

Church allows faithful to mark annual Pchum Ben festival when people believe souls of ancestors are released for 15 days
Catholics gather in a graveyard in Kompot province of Cambodia to mark Pchum Ben as a priest sprinkles holy water on tombs

Catholics gather in a graveyard in Battambang province of Cambodia to mark Pchum Ben as a priest sprinkles holy water on tombs. (Photo: Seng Moy)

Published: September 28, 2022 07:27 AM GMT
Updated: September 28, 2022 11:23 AM GMT

Catholics in Cambodia joined special prayers, Holy Mass, decorated tombs, and made food offerings during Pchum Ben, a major religious festival honoring ancestors recognized by the Catholic Church.

Pchum Ben is a 15-day festival culminating on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer calendar which falls at the end of Buddhist Lent, Vassa. This year, the festival was held from Sept 11-26.

In the Khmer language, Pchum means “a gathering or meeting” and Ben stands for “ball of something” such as rice or meat, according to Sona Asia, a group promoting tourism in Southeast Asia.

Cambodian Buddhists believe the souls of their ancestors are released for 15 days every year when they start the journey to purgatory, and their destination is decided by their karma (deeds) and the offerings made by their living relatives during Pchum Ben.

Catholics in some churches joined prayers and paid visits to tombs of their ancestors for 14 days, following Khmer Buddhist tradition.

On the final day of the festival, known as Pchum Day, they prepared food items and brought them to their church to be offered during Mass.   

Sok Khun Heam, 32, a Catholic from Kampong Kor parish in Kampong Thom province said local Catholics collected donations from relatives to sponsor Pchum Ben celebrations.

“On the last day, they brought meals, fruit, and snacks to the church for the Mass. They also visited the graves to commemorate their ancestors. The priest sprinkled holy water on the graves, and they prayed together,” Sok Khun told UCA News.

Catholics in the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang, which covers the provinces of Kampong Thom and Banteay Meanchey, celebrated the festival for the full 15 days.  

Sok Khun said that for her the end of the festival not only means gathering to pray for ancestors, it also involves offering gifts to parents.

“This year I gave money to my mom and bought rice for her,” she said.

Khun is office secretary at Church-run Catholic Social Communication, based in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, about 180 kilometers from her hometown. But she does not miss the festival despite difficulties getting home.

“On Pchum Day, my parents want their children to be together. Even though sometimes, I don’t have money to travel. But as the day approaches I feel I can’t miss it,” she said.

Sareth Em, a Catholic from Chum Kiri in Kampot province said the local church celebrates the final day of Pchum Ben with a big ceremony when the premises get overcrowded with people.

Em, the Coordinator of the Kindergartens of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, noted that during the festival local Catholics visit their neighbors and offer them groceries “to show their love for each other.”

“I pray by going to the church and also join the charity activities for poor people,” he said.

Father Paul Phrom Phong Seharat, a parish priest in Kampot province, insisted that Catholics should visit their living parents and take care of them regularly, not just during the festival.

“Don’t wait till they are sick, then buy fruit for them because they can’t eat. Give them fruit when they are in good health. Take time to communicate with them more than usual.” He said.

Venerable Vy Sovechea, a Buddhist monk and President of Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University in Battambang, said Pchum Day is a time to respect ancestors who passed away, express gratitude for their sacrifices, and meet relatives.

“This is an important time for a family gathering, and each person should give value to this to express gratitude and to be united in the spirit of solidarity. We must love the living people as we observe our responsibilities together with the monks, parents, relatives, and poor people,” the monk said.

Catholics across the world observe All Souls Day on Nov. 2 every year to pay homage to their lost loved ones.

In the 1970s, the Vatican allowed Catholics in Cambodia to celebrate the Pchum Ben festival in line with long-held Khmer tradition, according to Father Francois Ponchaud, a French MEP missionary in Cambodia and researcher of the Khmer Rouge genocide.

In Buddhist-majority Cambodia, Christians account for one percent of the estimated 17 million people. The country has about 20,000 Catholics.

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