Pope Francis to make surprise visit to Myanmar
Pope Francis is expected to focus on improving the troubles of about a million ethnic Muslim Rohingyas when he visits Myanmar in November in the first papal visit to the country after being personally invited by President Htin Kyaw.
News of the visit, which has leaked out of the Vatican but is not expected to be officially announced until next month, has already drawn the ire of hard-line Buddhist groups who have fanned sectarian violence and protest, especially against the Rohingya and other Muslims, over the past five years.
"No, no, don't come," "don't visit if you come to Myanmar for Bengalis," and "we oppose the visit if he uses the word Rohingya," several Buddhists posted on their Facebook pages.
Bishop Raymond Sumlut Gam of Banmaw in Kachin State said a visit by Pope Francis to Myanmar is most likely, although he said he had not officially been informed. "The Catholic bishops invited Pope Francis before the 500th anniversary of Catholicism in Myanmar in late 2014," Bishop Gam told ucanews.com.
"Some improvements have occurred such as diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Vatican plus the appointment of an Apostolic Nuncio," he said.
The Pope's relatively last minute program change will see him cancel a planned trip to India after prevarication by that nation's strongly pro-Hindu government. The proposed visit to Myanmar will precede the Pope visiting neighbouring Bangladesh.
Senior Catholic sources told ucanews.com that Pope Francis will arrive in Myanmar on November 27 for four nights.
It is expected that he will celebrate at least two Masses before heading to the country's largest city and business capital, Yangon, for a large open-air Mass. It is also expected that he will visit and offer Mass at St Joseph's Catholic Major Seminary in Yangon.
Source: UCA News - www.ucanews.com, August 7, 2017.
Pope Francis' Mission Intention for September
That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - September 2017