AMN / DHAKA
Pope Francis who is on a 3-day visit to Bangladesh participated in a inter-religious peace meeting at the Kakrial Church in Dhaka in which religious leaders and followers of the Muslim community, Hindus and Buddhists also participated.
For the first time during his Myanmar-Bangladesh tour, the Pontiff referred to the Rohingya people by name and assured them of continued support so that they can get back their rights.
Urging the world not to ignore refugees, persecuted minorities, the poor and the vulnerable, Pope Francis met 16 Rohingya refugees who were brought to the Kakrail Church event with the permission of the Bangladesh government and heard their tragic stories.
The Pope asked for forgiveness from the Rohingyas on behalf of all those who persecute them. He said the inter-religious meeting is a clear sign of the efforts that religious leaders and followers are making to live together with mutual respect and harmony.
Earlier in the day, the Pope had a giant open-air Mass in the historic Suhravardy Udyan attended by over 100,000 people to the chants of Bengali hymns as he was driven through the crowds in an open popemobile. Later he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Vatican Embassy.