Pope Francis’ visits to Thai-land and Japan show his love for marginalized communities, says Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. In his fourth visit to Asia, Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Bangkok on Nov. 20. Three days later, he leaves for Tokyo and nuclear-bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki before returning to Rome on Nov. 26.

Pope Francis has “chosen countries where the Catholic community is a minority. His concern for communities on the margins has amplified their presence,” Cardinal Bo said in a statement.

Two years ago, “he chose to visit two countries where the Christian presence is so small. Christianity was in Myanmar for 500 years. His visit made this small flock to be known to the world,” said the cardinal.

In his 2017 Asia visit, Pope Francis covered Muslim-dominated Bangladesh and Buddhist-majority Myanmar, the base of 71-year-old Cardinal Bo.

Pope Francis became the first Pope to visit Myanmar, where Christians form just 6 percent of a population of some 54 million people. Catholics make up about one percent or some 750,000.