Burma’s first cardinal has said that the country’s Muslim minority could face a violent backlash if the Pope uses the term “Rohingya” on his visit there next week. Cardinal Charles Bo told the American website Crux that if Pope Francis chose to use the term “Rohingya”, “there could be demonstrations at once, going after the Muslims”. Pope Francis will be the first Pope to visit Burma when he arrives on Monday. “Rohingya” is used by the country’s Muslim minority to define themselves. The United Nations has accused the Burmese military of carrying out ethnic cleansing against them. Cardinal Bo said that if Pope Francis were to use the term, it could make it harder for the government and communities to “work in a peaceful way later on”, although he said he thought the Pope would not give it “a political connotation”. “If he does use it, then it could be very bad for the military, the government and the Buddhist community,” the cardinal said. He noted that the Pope would be “walking a very tight rope”. Pope Francis has said he wants to strengthen Catholics in their commitment to faith and charity and to encourage all efforts “to build harmony and cooperation” among people of all religions. In a video message to the people of Burma published last week, the Pope said: “We are living at a time when religious believers and people of goodwill everywhere sense the need to grow in mutual understanding and respect and to support each other as members of our one human family, for all of us are God’s children.” About 90 per cent of Burma’s 54 million people are Buddhist. Christians and Muslims each account for four per cent of the population and one per cent is Hindu. “I ask everyone to pray that my days among you will be a source of hope and encouragement to everyone,” he said.