The Asian nation’s first cardinal on persecuted minorities, democracy’s rebirth and his small but growing flock
Until recently, Burma seemed to be emerging from decades of international isolation. The opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest and became the country’s state counsellor (equivalent to prime minister). She then travelled to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Burma – which has 750,000 faithful (out of a population of 52 million) – gained its first cardinal, Charles Bo. Last November, Francis became the first pope to visit the South East Asian nation.
