Pope Francis: The Manifestation of God's Presence Today is the Rohingya

Pope Francis on Friday directly mentioned the Rohingya people for the first time during his Asian trip. After speaking to a crowd of various religions in Dhaka, Bangladesh, he said, "The manifestation of God's presence today is the Rohingya." According to CNN, a few days earlier during his visit to Myanmar, Pope Francis did not mention the Rohingya people, which caused dissatisfaction and criticism from advocates for this Muslim community. However, in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, after his speech, he met with a group of Rohingya refugees and listened to their stories. Pope Francis said, "The tragedy you have endured is very difficult and immense. You are in our hearts. On behalf of all those who have oppressed you, those who have harmed you, and especially on behalf of a world that has remained indifferent, I ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive us." The Pope added, "Many of you have spoken to me about the kind heart of Bangladesh that has sheltered you. Now I ask you to forgive us by referring to our hearts." Since the beginning of the violence against the Rohingya Muslims in August of this year, more than 620,000 of them have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Many say they were forced to flee from violent attacks by the Myanmar army. The United Nations, the United States, and the United Kingdom have called the actions of the Myanmar army "ethnic cleansing" and condemned it strongly. The Myanmar government does not use the name Rohingya to refer to these people, instead considering them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, while many of them have lived in Myanmar for centuries. The Rohingya people are not recognized as a minority in Myanmar and consequently do not have citizenship in that country. During his speech on Tuesday alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar, Pope Francis did not use the term Rohingya. This was the first visit by a Catholic leader to Myanmar, where the majority of the population is Buddhist. Greg Burke, a Vatican spokesman, rejected the notion that Pope Francis's failure to use the term Rohingya during his visit to Myanmar harmed his moral and spiritual standing. The Pope had previously used the term Rohingya multiple times before this trip. Activists and advocates for the Rohingya Muslim minority say that by not using this term, Pope Francis has effectively colluded with the Myanmar government's strategy to delegitimize these people. Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya rights activist, told CNN, "The term Rohingya is not a racial insult; it is a respectful term for addressing more than two million people living in various parts of the world." The international community has expressed concern over the dire situation of the Rohingya Muslims and has expressed disgust at how they are treated. The Myanmar army claims that the aim of military operations in these areas is to combat terrorists who attacked its security forces in August, denying organized repression of the Rohingya Muslims. During his visit to Myanmar, Pope Francis met with two important leaders of the country, Aung San Suu Kyi and the commander of the armed forces. General Min Aung Hlaing emphasized during his meeting with the Pope that followers of all religions in Myanmar have religious freedom. However, many Myanmar experts point out that the claims of the armed forces commander are incorrect. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the peaceful struggles of the people of Myanmar against the military government in past decades, has also denied the occurrence of ethnic cleansing in the country. On Tuesday, in her speech alongside Pope Francis, she only generally stated, "Our government's goal is to flourish diversity and turn it into a strength for the country by defending rights, promoting tolerance, and ensuring security for all."