One of the most touching deeds that made Pope Francis go down in history was his 2017 visit to Bangladesh, which included a meeting in Dhaka with a group of Rohingya refugees who had fled violence in Myanmar.
Silent tears and heartfelt words that marked the embrace moved the world and became a symbol of his deep commitment to justice and compassion. On that occasion, Francis prayed with the Rohingya.
Since then, he has often reminded the world of their suffering. More than a million Rohingya live in Bangladesh, forcibly displaced from Myanmar where they are persecuted.
“Even though we are few and often forgotten – dispersed, marginalised, and afflicted – we grieve with the global Church,” said Peter Saiful, a representative of the small Rohingya Catholic community, also displaced in Bangladesh, speaking to AsiaNews.
“Pope Francis was a beacon of hope for the marginalised, a voice for the voiceless, and a man whose humility touched hearts across all boundaries,” Saiful explained. “As members of a persecuted and displaced people, we saw in Pope Francis the living compassion and solidarity of Christ. That encounter during his visit is a deeply moving and unforgettable moment in our community’s history.”
Pope Francis liked to say: “You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian, and you cannot be a Christian without practising the Beatitudes. And one of the Beatitudes is to welcome the stranger.” Rohingya Christians are grateful to God for the pope’s life and ministry, dedicated to justice, peace and the unity of God’s people.
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
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