"I know that many in Myanmar bear the wounds of violence, wounds both visible and invisible," Francis told a huge open-air Mass in Yangon's Kyaikkasan Ground park. While the temptation is to respond with revenge, Francis urged instead a response of "forgiveness and compassion." His message, though, has echoed far beyond the Christian community, with his visit making front-page news and being replayed constantly on Myanmar television news. The trip has been overshadowed by Myanmar's military operations targeting the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine state. The crackdown, which has been described by the U.N. as a campaign of "textbook ethnic cleansing," has drawn international condemnation.

Source: ABC News November 29, 2017 02:10 UTC