The bishops of Myanmar met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Friday, June 5, during their ad limina visits. Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar, told Vatican News the Pope made them feel that “Myanmar is not forgotten, but always in his prayers.” Cardinal Bo and the Burmese bishops spent nearly two hours with the Pope. They discussed the formation of seminarians, ongoing formation of priests, the situation in the country, and the Church’s response.
The Pope will “continue asking the world not to forget Myanmar, like Pope Francis would say in the past two years: ‘Non dimenticare il Myanmar’ [‘Don’t forget Myanmar’],” Cardinal Bo said. “We were very happy to meet the Pope and will be renewed and strengthened once we go back home.”
Myanmar has faced a particularly difficult situation since the 2021 military coup sparked an ongoing civil conflict that has killed thousands and displaced more than 3 million people. In March 2025, a devastating earthquake further worsened conditions. “We explained the situation, difficult situation. At the same time, all the people of Myanmar, bishops, priests, religious and the faithful, they are very much having faith, they have resilience,” Cardinal Bo said. “In spite of the difficult situation, the Church in Myanmar is growing and being strengthened very much,” he added.