Christian
leaders see Church's growth in first Myanmar cardinal
Christian leaders in Myanmar see in the appointment of Salesian
Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon as cardinal an acknowledgement of
the growth of the Catholic mission in the country. Bishop Felix Lian
Khen Thang of Kalay, the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of in Myanmar (CBCM),
said Archbishop Bo’s appointment "is the culmination of the activities of
the mission of the Church
in Myanmar". Archbishop Bo is
among 20 bishops and archbishops Pope Francis named on Jan. 4, who he will raise to the rank of cardinal in a
consistory on February 14. "Cardinal Bo is bold enough to tell the truth, both on
social and religious issues, political affairs, on matters affecting the
Church," Bishop Thang said. The cardinal-delegate
comes at a delicate moment for the history of the country, engaged in a democratic
transition, after years of dictatorship, and on the eve of new elections
which should take place in the autumn of 2015. In addition, the
nation is struggling with
problems of religious intolerance, in particular on behalf of some Buddhist
groups towards Muslims of the
ethnic Rohingya.
Benedict Rogers of the
NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide described Archbishop Bo as "a man of great qualities:
courage, wisdom, compassion, humility, humour, hospitality and
generosity". "In particular, he was one of the most outspoken religious leaders
in Burma on issues of human rights, religious freedom, democracy, and injustice," Rogers said. In Myanmar Catholics are about 1% of a total population of 51
million inhabitants, mostly Buddhists.
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